Open AccessEpidemiological, neurofunctional profile and prevalence of factors associated with the occurrence of physical disabilities due to leprosy in a reference center in Northeast Brazil: a sectional study
Author(s) -
Lucas Gomes Santos Thais Silva Matos,
João Paulo Silva de Paiva,
Thiago Cavalcanti Leal,
Gibson Barros de Almeida Santana,
Tânia Rita Moreno de Oliveira Fernandes,
Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Rocha,
Leonardo Feitosa da Silva,
José Carlos de Moura,
Tarcísio Fulgêncio Alves da Silva,
Carlos Dornels Freire de Souza
Publication year - 2021
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
DOI - 10.5327/1516-3180.086
Subject(s) - epidemiology , medicine , leprosy , poisson regression , cross sectional study , observational study , population , demography , physical therapy , environmental health , pathology , sociology
Background: Leprosy is an infectious disease that is associated with functional limitation. Objective: Describe the epidemiological, neurofunctional profile and the prevalence of factors associated with the occurrence of physical disabilities due to leprosy in a reference center in Northeast Brazil. Design and setting: Cross-sectional observational study carried out at the reference center Dr. Altino Lemos Santiago, in Juazeiro / Bahia. In 2018, the municipality recorded an annual average of 95 new cases of leprosy. Methods: Study including 50 leprosy patients. Variables analyzed: gender, age, history of leprosy in the family, time to diagnosis, clinical form, operational classification, degree of disability, OMP score, peripheral nerve function, muscle strength and sensitivity. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (chi-square test or Fisher’s exact, Poisson regression with robust estimation and PR-prevalence reason) were used. Significance of 5%. Results: it was verified an equal distribution was found between men and women, economically active age, low education, multibacillary forms in men (64.0%) and paucibacillary forms in women (60.0%). 78% of individuals had some degree of disability. 64.0% had a compromised ulnar nerve. Plantar sensitivity was decreased in 66% of patients. The predictors of disability were: age ≥45 years (PR 1.44; p=0.005), no education (PR 1.21; p=0.013) and OMP score ≥6 (PR 1.29; p <0.001). Conclusions: The findings show the importance of monitoring neural functions and the development of measures that allow the early diagnosis, the opportune method and the prevention of disabilities, especially in the male population.