The stigma and prejudice of leprosy: influence on the human condition
Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop
;
48(2): 194-201, mar-apr/2015. tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-746231
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: To analyze the knowledge, feelings and perceptions involving patients affected by leprosy, as a better understanding of these factors may be useful to decrease the stigma and prejudice associated with the condition. METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 94 patients who underwent treatment for leprosy at the Health Units in the City of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso (MT), Brazil. The study questionnaire included items to collect information on socio-demographic data, knowledge about the disease, stigma, prejudice, self-esteem and quality of life of leprosy patients. Bivariate analyses were used to assess the data based on the chi-square test with a 5% significance threshold. RESULTS: The results revealed that the study population consisted predominantly of males (55.3%) with an income between 1 and 3 times the minimum wage (67%). The survey respondents reported that the most significant difficulties related to the treatment were the side effects (44.7%) and the duration of the treatment (28.7%). A total of 72.3% of the subjects were knowledgeable about the disease, of whom 26.6% had the leprosy reaction. Stigma and prejudice were cited by 93.6% of the participants. Based on the responses, 40.4% of patients reported being depressed and sad, and 69.1% of the subjects encountered problems at work after being diagnosed. A total of 45.7% of the patients rated their quality of life between bad and very bad. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that leprosy causes suffering in patients beyond pain and discomfort and greatly influences social participation. .
Full text:
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Prejudice
/
Quality of Life
/
Social Stigma
/
Leprosy
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Incidence study
/
Observational study
/
Prevalence study
/
Qualitative research
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
Year:
2015
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade Estadual Paulista/BR
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