Abstract
BackgroundThe incidence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) makes it the most widespread parasitic disease in Tunisia and the Arab world. Yet, few studies have addressed its psychological and psychosocial effects. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychosocial impact of ZCL scars among Tunisian women.MethodsWe conducted an exploratory study, we administered Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), World Health Organization Quality Of Life-26 (WHOQOL-26) and Psoriasis Life Stress Inventory (PLSI) to a group of girls and women with ZCL scar in the region of Sidi Bouzid. This group was randomly selected from volunteers who came to primary health care facilities to seek for treatment for any pathology.ResultsDescriptive statistics showed that the collected scores from the three scales exhibit heterogeneous distributions: IPQ-R (M = 63.6, SD = 15.6), PSLI (M = 9.5, SD = 6.7), WHOQOL-Physical (M = 63, SD = 12.9), WHOQOL-Psychological (M = 52.6, SD = 11.1), WHOQOL-Social (M = 61.8, SD = 17.5), and WHOQOL-Environmental (M = 47.8, SD = 13.3). The correlation analyses performed on Inter and intra-subscales showed that the emotional representations associated with ZCL were correlated with the loss of self-esteem and feelings of inferiority (r = 0.77, p<0.05). In addition, high education level and the knowledge about ZCL are positively correlated with cognitive and emotional representation in the IPQ-R (r = 0.33, p<0.05). "Rejection experiences" and the "anticipation and avoidance of stress" were respectively negatively correlated with age (r = -0.33, p<0.05 and r = -0.31, p<0.05). Correlations between the scores on IPQ-R domains and PLSI factors were significant. The results showed that anticipation of rejection and avoidance of stress are strongly correlated with a negative perception of ZCL. Quality of life scores were not correlated with either age, education level, time of illness, or the number of facial or body scars. However, the correlations between quality of life scores and the multiple IPQ-R domains were all insignificant. Finally, there was a negative correlation between the scores on the perceived quality of social life and the knowledge about ZCL (r = -0.34, p<0.05).ConclusionsThis makes it vital to strengthen preventive health education. Conducting studies on ways to establish a holistic support system for managing ZCL, a system that covers the psychological challenges and the barriers it causes to women’s social and professional integration, is a vital first step.
Highlights
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis
Descriptive statistics showed that the collected scores from the three scales exhibit heterogeneous distributions: Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) (M = 63.6, SD = 15.6), Psoriasis Life Stress Inventory (PSLI) (M = 9.5, SD = 6.7), WHOQOLPhysical (M = 63, SD = 12.9), WHOQOL-Psychological (M = 52.6, SD = 11.1), WHOQOLSocial (M = 61.8, SD = 17.5), and WHOQOL-Environmental (M = 47.8, SD = 13.3)
The correlation analyses performed on Inter and intra-subscales showed that the emotional representations associated with zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) were correlated with the loss of self-esteem and feelings of inferiority (r = 0.77, p
Summary
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis It is a skin infection caused by a unicellular parasite transmitted by infected sandflies that feed on the blood of rodents bred in caves or burrows in degraded environments. It is known as Oriental Sore, Biskra Button, Aleppo boil or Tabaa Sidi Bouzid, depending on the geographic region concerned. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in many parts of the world. The incidence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) makes it the most widespread parasitic disease in Tunisia and the Arab world. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychosocial impact of ZCL scars among Tunisian women
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.