title: Assessment of quality of life of patients with leprosy reactional states treated in a dermatology reference center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disabilities and deformities resulting from reactive outbreaks of leprosy can cause many problems for the patients, interfering with their quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the quality of life of patients with leprosy reactional states identified at the Reference Center in Belo Horizonte - MG.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an epidemiological cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study, involving 120 patients in treatment for leprosy reactional states, from December 2007 to March 2008, held at the Dermatology outpatients clinic of the Hospital Eduardo de Menezes from FHEMIG, BH. We used two instruments for the socio-demographic, economic and clinical variables and a generic instrument WHOQOL WHO. The data were tabulated in SPSS and analyzed using the mean score with the application of statistical tests (p <0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the median age of the patients was 48 years, most were males, married, from cities around BH, with incomplete elementary school, retired or pensioner, and with a family income of two minimum wages. Most of them reported that the disease interfered a great deal with their professional activities and leisure. In the assessment of QoL, the lowest rating was observed in the physical domain and the highest was observed in the psychological and social relations. The internal consistency of WHO-QOL-bref was acceptable to the facets and domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leprosy causes suffering that goes beyond the pain and discomfort strictly related to the physical damage, with great social and psychological impact.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Medicina Especializada, Pesquisa e Ensino, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. marinaderm@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Marina Dias
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Fábio de Souza
authors.initials: Fde S
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: Rosane Dias
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: Ana Maria Duarte Dias
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Carlos Maurício de Figueiredo
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Antunes
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D007918:Leprosy / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires