Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on leprosy among dermatology residents in the Philippines

Abstract

Introduction: leprosy is a chronic bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis, primarily affecting the skin and peripheral nerves. Dermatologists play an important role in diagnosing and treating patients affected with leprosy and are equipped with adequate knowledge about the clinical presentation and management of patients with leprosy. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of leprosy among dermatology residents in the Philippines using a selfadministered online questionnaire. The study was conducted in two phases: Phase I was the development of the questionnaire, and Phase II was the survey proper, where the questionnaire was administered to dermatology residents in the Philippines via convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics appropriate for the study variables were used. Results: in Phase I of the study, a questionnaire was validated by three leprosy and infectious disease experts and pilot-tested on ten dermatology graduates in the year 2022, showing that items had high scores for validity and reliability. Phase II involved administering the survey to dermatology residents. Data showed that overall, 46 of 118 participants (38.98%) obtained a satisfactory score of 80% and higher on knowledge, 101 of 118 (85.59%) exhibited a positive attitude, and 116 of 118 (98.31%) had adequate practices. Moreover, first-year residents exhibit lower attitude scores than those in higher years, and no significant differences in knowledge and practices were found based on the practice setting. Conclusion: results of the study show that less than half of the included resident dermatologists had satisfactory knowledge of leprosy. However, we identified gaps in these physician’s knowledge, mainly in peripheral assessment nerve function, doses, and duration of treatment for leprosy peoples. On the other hand, participants were noted to have an overall positive attitude towards leprosy and adequate practices.