title: Functional Activity Limitation and Quality of Life of Leprosy Cases in an Endemic Area in Northeastern Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have evaluated the association between quality of life (QoL) and functional activity limitations (FAL) of leprosy patients as determined by the Screening of Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness scale (SALSA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the association between FALs and the QoL of patients during and post leprosy treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey of 104 patients with leprosy followed in specialist reference centres in Sergipe, Brazil, between June and October 2014. QoL was evaluated using the World Health Organization-QoL-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) questionnaire. The SALSA scale was used to measure FALs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low SALSA scores were present in 76% of patients. QoL scores were lower for the physical and environmental domains, with median (interquartile range (IQR)) scores of 53.6 (32.1-67.9) and 53.1 (46.9-64.8), respectively. There was a statistical association between increasing SALSA scores and lower QoL as measured by the WHOQoL-BREF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional limitations are associated with lower QoL in leprosy patients, especially in the physical and environmental WHOQoL-BREF domains.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laudice S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabrícia D N
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Gois-Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ligia M D
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil; Department of Nursing, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria do C O
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Gurgel
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007917:Leprostatic Agents