title: Prevalence of Disability and Associated Factors among Registered Leprosy Patients in All Africa Tb and Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre (ALERT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Delay in leprosy diagnosis and treatment causes disabilities due to nerve damage, immunological reactions and bacillary infiltration. Leprosy disability leads not only to physical dysfunction and activity limitation but also disrupts social interaction of affected individuals by creating stigma and discrimination. This study was aimed at assessing leprosy disability status in patients registered at All African TB and Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of leprosy patients registered from September 11, 2010 to September 10, 2013 G.C were reviewed. Prevalence of disability calculated, bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to determine crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of disability was found to be 65.9% from all categories of patients (40.2% Grade I and 25.7% Grade II). The Prevalence among the new category was 62.8% (39.1% Grade 1 and 23.7% Grade 2). Those ageed above 30 years, with duration of symptoms 6-12 months and above 24 months, with sensory loss, nerve damage and reversal reaction were more likely to develop disability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study the prevalence of disability, both Grade I and II, is very high. Disability was associated with age, duration of symptom, sensory loss, signs of nerve damage and reversal reaction. These risk factors indicate the existence of delay in diagnosis and treatment of leprosy cases. Therefore, the national leprosy control program should investigate leprosy case detection and diagnosis system in the country and work on improving early case detection and prevention of disability.
authors.affiliation: Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Addis Ababa University Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tigist
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shumet
authors.affiliation: Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Meaza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demissie
authors.affiliation: Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Yonas
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bekele
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012307:Risk Factors; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ethiopia; Leprosy; leprosy disability