The association of functional activity limitation and quality of life of leprosy cases in a tertiary hospital: a cross-sectional study

Authors: Margaret Stephanie L. Jimenez MD, Karen Lee P. Alabado-Laurel MD

Abstract

Introduction: Few studies have been done on the association of functional activity limitations (FALs) and quality of life (QoL) among those with leprosy.

Objectives: To determine the association between functional activity limitations and quality of life of leprosy cases in a tertiary hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of leprosy cases in the Department of Dermatology in a tertiary hospital was done between January and August 2018. The Screening of Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (SALSA) scale was used to measure FALs with scores ranging from 10 to 80. The higher scores represent more severe functional activity limitations. The World Health Organization QOLBREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used to measure QoL. It is divided into physical, psychological, environmental and social domains with each item rated from 0 to 5. The higher scores denote better QoL.

Results: A total of 70 leprosy cases were included in the study. The SALSA scores showed that more than half of the population had no significant FALs. QoL scores were lower for the physical and environmental domains, with median (interquartile range) scores of 64.3 (50-75) and 70.3 (59.38–78.13), respectively. There was a statistically significant association between increasing SALSA scores and lower QoL most notably in the physical domain.

Conclusion: The presence of functional activity limitations is associated with lower QoL in leprosy with greater impairment in the physical domain. This emphasizes the need for early treatment, frequent assessments, and supportive systems for leprosy cases in endemic areas.

Citation

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Keywords

leprosy, functional activity limitations (FALs), quality of life (QoL), screening for activity limitation and safety awareness (SALSA) scale

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