02473nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001500080653002800095653001100123653001100134653001200145653000900157653001800166653001600184653001400200653002000214653003100234100001500265700001300280700001300293700001600306700001100322700001200333245009600345300001200441490000700453050001800460520161900478022001402097       2007                            d  c2007 Jun10aAdolescent10aAdult10aBangladesh10aCross-Sectional Studies10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMental Health10aMiddle Aged10aPrejudice10aQuality of Life10aSurveys and Questionnaires1 aTsutsumi A1 aIzutsu T1 aIslam AM1 aMaksuda A N1 aKato H1 aWakai S00aThe quality of life, mental health, and perceived stigma of leprosy patients in Bangladesh.  a2443-530 v64  aTSUTSUMI 20073 a<p>The present study aims to determine the quality of life (QOL) and general mental health of leprosy patients compared with the general population, and evaluate contributing factors such as socio-economic characteristics and perceived stigma. A total of 189 patients (160 outpatients, 29 inpatients) and 200 controls without leprosy or other chronic diseases were selected from Dhaka district, Bangladesh, using stratified random sampling. A Bangladeshi version of a structured questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics-the Bangla version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment BREF (WHOQOL-BREF)-was used to assess QOL; a Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was used to evaluate general mental health; the Barthel Index to control activities of daily living (ADL); and the authors' Perceived Stigma Questionnaire was used to assess perceived stigma of patients with leprosy. Medical records were examined to evaluate disability grades and impairment. QOL and general mental health scores of leprosy patients were worse than those of the general population. Multiple regression analysis revealed that factors potentially contributing to the deteriorated QOL of leprosy patients were the presence of perceived stigma, fewer years of education, the presence of deformities, and a lower annual income. Perceived stigma showed the greatest association with adverse QOL. We conclude that there is an urgent need for interventions sensitive to the effects of perceived stigma, gender, and medical conditions to improve the QOL and mental health of Bangladeshi leprosy patients.</p>
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