Quality of Life Among People with Leprosy-Related Disability In Tamil Nadu: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Leprosy is one among the 20 conditions termed as Neglected Tropical Disease. Early diagnosis and treatment with multidrug therapy has made leprosy a curable disease these days. Even after all the improvements in managing the disease, the quality of life of affected individuals is still uncertain. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among people with leprosy related disability residing in Chengalpattu district using a semi-structured questionnaire to access the quality of life and its association with socio-demographic variables. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 223 study participants. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS v 21. Fishers exact test and chi-square test were employed and statistical significance was set at p <0.05. Results: Out of the 223 participants, 40.4% had poor quality of life score. Class V socio-economic status, lesser duration of disability and positive surgery history for deformity had a significant association with overall quality of life. Conclusion: To conclude the findings of the current study, a huge prevalence of poor quality of life was noted that reflects the affected individual’s deprived physical and mental health status. Early prevention of disabilities by rightful intervention at the right time and appropriate self- care should be ensured to improve the quality of life.