scholarly journals Impact of Leprosy on the Quality of Life in India: A Decade Post-elimination

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasudha Abhijit Belgaumkar ◽  
Bitukaur Sodhi ◽  
Pallavi Prataprao Patil ◽  
Neelam Bhatt

Background: India contributes to approximately 60% of the global leprosy burden despite declaring elimination in 2005. Leprosy is associated with typical deformities and disabilities, imposing a huge burden on the society’s mental health and economy. More than three million people in India are estimated to suffer from leprosy-related disabilities with the potential for profound social stigma and discrimination. Objectives: This study attempts to document the socio-demographic profile of leprosy patients visiting a public tertiary hospital in Pune to analyze the impact on different domains of the individual’s health and determine the contributory factors thereof. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among 60 patients with leprosy using the WHOQoL-Bref and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Medical records of the patients were also scrutinized. Results: Most patients (40%) were aged between 31 - 40 years with an equal gender distribution, and 63% belonged to MKS Class 4. According to the WHO QoL Bref, 56.66% of the patients had an overall mean score of less than 50, indicating a poor quality of life with the psychological domain being the most-affected, while the DLQI demonstrated that leprosy had a “very large effect” on the quality of life. The determinants that contributed to deteriorated quality of life were female gender, low socioeconomic status, delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation, multibacillary forms, reactional episodes (particularly Type 2), disability grade (visible impairment), and self- perceived stigma. Conclusions: Leprosy continues to adversely affect the quality of life even a decade after its official elimination. There was good an overall concordance between the WHO QOL-Bref and DLQI questionnaires.

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgard Michel-Crosato ◽  
Maria Gabriela Haye Biazevic ◽  
Edgard Crosato

The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of dental fluorosis in schoolchildren aged 6 to 15 and its possible association with the impacts on their daily activities. This study is observational, cross-sectional and analytical. A total of 513 schoolchildren from the city of Pinheiro Preto, SC, took part in this study. The children were examined by three calibrated dentists, after obtaining a kappa > 0.80. To assess the prevalence of fluorosis, clinical examinations were performed according to the methodology set forth by the 4th edition of the WHO. To assess the impact of fluorosis on their daily activities, a modified OIDP (Oral Impacts on Daily Performance) was adopted. The statistical analysis used was the Chi-squared test with a 5% significance level. Of the total number of children examined, 262 (51.1%) were of the female gender and 251 (48.9%) were of the male gender. In regard to the prevalence of fluorosis, 94 (18.3%) of the children presented this condition, while 419 children (81.7%) presented a normal condition. In regard to the severity of fluorosis, few children presented severe alterations. No association was found between dental fluorosis and gender (p = 0.646), between fluorosis and socioeconomic status (p = 0.848) or between fluorosis and access to public water supply system (p = 0.198). The activities that most affected children's daily performance were: oral hygiene (40.9%) and food intake or enjoying food (40.4%). None of the daily activities could be associated with the occurrence of dental fluorosis. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was consonant with the standards found for locations with optimum fluoride content in the water supply. The questionable and very slight levels of fluorosis were the most frequently found, without influence in the quality of life of the schoolchildren participating in the study.


2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Émerson Soares PONTES ◽  
Ana Karênina de Freitas Jordão do AMARAL ◽  
Flávia Luiza Costa do RÊGO ◽  
Elma Heitmann Mares AZEVEDO ◽  
Priscila Oliveira Costa SILVA

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The elderly population faces many difficulties as a result of the aging process. Conceptualize and evaluate their life quality is a challenge, being hard to characterize the impact on daily activities and on functional capacity. The stroke is one of the most disabling neurological diseases, becoming a public health problem. As an aggravating result, there is dysphagia, a disorder that compromises the progression of the food from the mouth to the stomach, causing clinical complications to the individual. OBJECTIVE Characterize the life quality of the elderly swallowing affected by stroke. METHODS Cross-sectional study conducted at the University Hospital, attended by 35 elderly with stroke, being 19 women and 16 men, with age between 60 and 90 years old, that self-reported satisfactory overall clinical picture. It was applied the Quality of Life Swallowing protocol. The data were statistically analyzed, by means of ANOVA tests, Spearman correlation, t test, with significance level of 5%. RESULTS The mean age was 69.5 years; as for the scores obtained by the 35 participants in the 11 domains of the protocol, it was observed a change in score indicating severe to moderate impact in quality of life related to self-reported swallowing (31.8% to 59.5%); the domain that most interfered was the feeding time (31.8%). CONCLUSION Elderly affected by stroke that present dysphagia has low scores in quality of life related to swallowing.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla Giovana Bavaresco Ulinski ◽  
Mariele Andrade do Nascimento ◽  
Arinilson Moreira Chaves Lima ◽  
Ana Raquel Benetti ◽  
Regina Célia Poli-Frederico ◽  
...  

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the factors associated with the impact of oral health on the quality of life in a sample of 504 Brazilian independent elderly. Data collection included oral examinations and structured interviews. The simplified form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to measure OHRQoL. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, use of dental services, and subjective measures of health was collected. Poisson regression within a hierarchical model was used to data analyses. The following variables were associated with a negative impact on OHRQoL: female gender (PR = 1.40; CI 95%: 1.11–1.77); lower class (PR = 1.58; CI 95%: 1.13–2.20); up to 3 occluding pairs of posterior teeth (PR = 1.88; CI 95%: 1.13–3.14); at least one untreated caries (PR = 1.28; CI 95%: 1.06–1.54); curative reasons for the last dental appointment (PR = 1.52; CI 95%: 1.15–2.00); poor self-perception of oral health (PR = 2.49; CI 95%: 1.92–3.24); and poor perception of dental care provided (PR = 1.34; CI 95%: 1.12–1.59). The younger elderly also noticed this negative impact. These findings showed that the clinical, sociodemographic, and subjective factors evaluated exerted a negative impact on OHRQoL in elderly people. Health authorities must address all these factors when planning interventions on oral health for this population.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Chen ◽  
Qian Xu ◽  
Haijiang Lin ◽  
Jianfu Zhu ◽  
Yue Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 related lockdown and home confinement might have an important impact on the quality of life in enterprise workers. We investigated the quality of life during the epidemic in enterprise workers who just returned to work, and assessed its potential influencing factors to have a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 epidemic lockdown and home confinement. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of enterprise workers conducted in Deqing and Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The Chinese version of EQ5D was used to assess life quality, and information about general characteristics and COVID-19 related factors was collected by a structured questionnaire, which was distributed through the social application “WeChat”. Results: A total of 2,435 participants were enrolled, 59.5% of which worked in Deqing. About 50% of the participants reported worries about the COVID-2019 epidemic and 40.1% had a centralized or home quarantine during the epidemic. The mean EQ-5D score and VAS were 0.990 and 93.5. Multiple logistic regression showed that the quality of life measures was related to physical activities (ORad=0.46) and keeping home ventilation (ORad=0.04) in Deqing, and were related to wearing a mask when going out (ORad=0.35), keeping home ventilation (ORad=0.16), unmarried status (ORad=2.38) and having a centralized or home quarantine (ORad=1.64) in Taizhou,Conclusions: The quality of life for returning enterprise workers in areas with different risks of COVID-19 was affected by different factors. Associated factors identified from this study would help develop proper intervention measures for enterprise workers to reduce the impact of large-scale public health events like the COVID-19 on their quality of life.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Chen ◽  
Qian Xu ◽  
Haijiang Lin ◽  
Jianfu Zhu ◽  
Yue Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 related lockdown and home confinement might have an important impact on the quality of life in enterprise workers. We investigated the quality of life during the epidemic in enterprise workers who just returned to work, and assessed its potential influencing factors to have a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 epidemic lockdown and home confinement.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of enterprise workers conducted in Deqing and Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The Chinese version of EQ5D was used to assess life quality, and information about general characteristics and COVID-19 related factors was collected by a structured questionnaire, which was distributed through the social application “WeChat”.Results: A total of 2,435 participants were enrolled, 59.5% of which worked in Deqing. About 50% of the participants reported worries about the COVID-2019 epidemic and 40.1% had a centralized or home quarantine during the epidemic. The mean EQ-5D score and VAS were 0.990 and 93.5. Multiple logistic regression showed that the quality of life measures was related to physical activities (ORad=0.46) and keeping home ventilation (ORad=0.04) in Deqing, and were related to wearing a mask when going out (ORad=0.35), keeping home ventilation (ORad=0.16), unmarried status (ORad=2.38) and having a centralized or home quarantine (ORad=1.64) in Taizhou,Conclusions: The quality of life for returning enterprise workers in areas with different risks of COVID-19 was affected by different factors. Associated factors identified from this study would help develop proper intervention measures for enterprise workers to reduce the impact of large-scale public health events like the COVID-19 on their quality of life.


Dermatology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 236 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Molina-Leyva ◽  
Carlos Cuenca-Barrales

Background: Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) suffer from symptoms such as pruritus and malodour which can significantly impair their quality of life. Objectives: (1) To analyse the impact of pruritus and malodour on the quality of life of patients with HS and (2) to explore the potential association between clinical features and the severity of these symptoms. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) was used to assess pruritus and malodour. Quality of life was assessed by means of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Results: Two hundred and thirty-three patients were included in the study. Both pruritus and malodour positively correlated with worse quality of life (p < 0.05). Pruritus intensity was associated with the number of regions affected by HS, female sex, the intensity of suppuration, and the presence of comorbid Crohn’s disease. Statin use was associated with lower levels of pruritus. Malodour intensity was associated with higher body mass index, disease duration, the number of regions affected, Hurley stage, and intensity of suppuration. Conclusions: The results of our study show that pruritus and malodour are key symptoms in patients with HS which have a great impact on their quality of life. We have identified clinical features potentially associated with the intensity of these symptoms which could be useful to identify higher-risk patients and may influence treatment decisions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chadia HADDAD ◽  
Sandrella Bou Malhab ◽  
Hala SACRE ◽  
Rasha THEBIAN ◽  
Hassan SALAME ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Infectious illness outbreaks, such as COVID-19, have a devastating impact on physical health and social and psychological well-being. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) after the COVID-19 outbreak in a sample of the Lebanese population and compare sociodemographic factors associated with QOL among COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted between January and March 2021 during the lockdown imposed by the Lebanese Government enrolled 2349 Lebanese adults. The major dependent variable was the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12), often used as a QOL measure for assessing the impact of health on an individual's everyday life.Results: In participants with non-positive PCR, linear regression showed that higher income (Beta=2.224) is associated with a higher QOL score. Whereas higher household crowding index (Beta=-0.537), older age (Beta=-0.109), being married (Beta=-1.308), having hypertension (Beta=-2.479), and other chronic diseases (Beta=-3.704) were associated with a lower QOL score.In participants with positive PCR, linear regression showed that the female gender (Beta=2.416) and a higher income (Beta=4.856) were associated with a higher QOL score. Whereas shortness of breath (beta=-2.607), sore throat (Beta=-5.654), sneezing (Beta=-3.761), and having a chronic disease other than hypertension (Beta=-3.181) were associated with a lower QOL score.Conclusion: Overall, factors such as age, male gender, married status, crowded household, low monthly income, high BMI, the presence of chronic disease, and severe COVID-19 symptoms were related to lower QOL after the covid-19 pandemic.


2012 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 717-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Soïdo Falcão do Amaral ◽  
Maria de Fátima Bazhuni Pombo March ◽  
Clemax Couto Sant'Anna

BACKGROUND: Atopic Dermatitis is a disease which has increased during the past years despite our improved understanding of it. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of Atopic Dermatitis in the quality of life of children and teenagers and their family. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional method with prospective data collection of 50 children and teenagers diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis ranging in age from 5-16 years. Fifty parents and/or guardians answered the quality of life questionnaires The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index and Family Dermatitis Impact Questionnaire. The socio-demographic and clinical variables were evaluated by a clinical record chart designed specifically for the research and socioeconomic standardized questionnaire by the Brazilian Association of Research Enterprises, which evaluates assets acquired and the educational level of the head of the household. RESULTS: Thirty-five out of the 50 patients were female (70%), and 28 (56%) of them were from social class C. The Questionnaire Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index showed that 19 (38%) patients ranged from 7 to 12 points (moderate impact of atopic dermatitis) and 17 patients (34%) ranged from 13 to 30 points (high impact of atopic dermatitis). The Family Dermatitis Impact Questionnaire revealed that 15 (30%) families had scores between 7 and 12 points and 22 families (44%) scored between 13 and 30 points. CONCLUSION: The results show that there is a very high impact on the QoL for atopic dermatitis patients and their families. This makes us suggest the importance of including the quality of life study in clinical evaluations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Chen ◽  
Qian Xu ◽  
Haijiang Lin ◽  
Jianfu Zhu ◽  
Yue Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 related lockdown and home confinement might have an important impact on the quality of life in enterprise workers. We investigated the quality of life during the epidemic in enterprise workers who just returned to work, and assessed its potential influencing factors to have a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 epidemic lockdown and home confinement. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of enterprise workers conducted in Deqing and Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The Chinese version of EQ5D was used to assess life quality, and information about general characteristics and COVID-19 related factors was collected by a structured questionnaire, which was distributed through the social application “WeChat”. Multiple liner regression was used to investigate potential influencing factors. Results A total of 2420 participants were enrolled, 59.5% of which worked in Deqing. About 50% of the participants reported worries about the COVID-2019 epidemic and 40.2% had a centralized or home quarantine during the epidemic. The mean EQ-5D score and VAS were 0.990 and 93.5. Multiple liner regression showed that the quality of life measures was related to physical activities (β = 0.006) and keeping home ventilation (β = 0.063) in Deqing, and were related to wearing a mask when going out (β = 0.014), keeping home ventilation (β = 0.061), other marital status (β = − 0.011), worry about the epidemic (β = − 0.005) and having a centralized or home quarantine (β = − 0.005) in Taizhou. Conclusions The quality of life for returning enterprise workers in areas with different risks of COVID-19 was affected by different factors. Associated factors identified from this study would help develop proper intervention measures for enterprise workers to reduce the impact of large-scale public health events like the COVID-19 on their quality of life.


Author(s):  
Shahnawaz Bashir ◽  
Iffat Hassan ◽  
Rabbanie T. Wani

Background: Over the past few years, dermatophytosis tends to be prolonged and persistent which negatively affects quality of life and relationship of patients with other people. There is limited literature available on the impact of dermatophytosis on the quality of life (QoL). The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of dermatophytosis on QoL in affected patients and identifying the risk factors associated therein.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study (descriptive study) in which 425 patients aged ≥18 years with dermatophytosis were included and evaluated for impact on QoL using dermatology life quality index (DLQI) questionnaire. Modified Kuppuswamy scale was also used for assessing the socioeconomic status of the study subjects. Independent t-test and ANOVA were used to find statistical associations between mean DLQI scores and various variables, wherever applicable.Results: The mean DLQI score in our study was 13.93±6.26. Dermatophytosis was found to have a very large effect on the QoL in majority (55.5%) of our subjects followed by moderate effect in 29.5% cases. Mean DLQI was higher in patients with longer duration of disease, involvement of unexposed sites (groins, gluteal region, axillae), greater number of sites involved, more body surface area involved, pruritus, redness and burning sensation (p<0.05). Regarding socio-demographic related variables, Mean DLQI score was higher in females, rural people, in (20-39) years age group, and in patients belonging to upper middle class (p<0.05).Conclusions: This study revealed significant impairment of QoL patients with dermatophytosis.


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