02321nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653001400054653004200068653001200110100001400122700001300136700001700149700001500166700001300181700001000194245017600204856005100380300001000431490000700441520164300448       2018                            d10aleprosy10aTreatment10aDermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)10aVietnam1 aHunt WTNH1 aHùng NT1 aTru'ò'ng NN1 aNikolaou V1 aKhoa NDD1 aLy TH00aA case-control study comparing the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) ratings of patients undergoing leprosy treatment, people cured of leprosy, and controls in Vietnam  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/89/1/04-6055  a46-550 v893 a<p>Background: Leprosy is a neuro-cutaneous disease caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium leprae. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) has been used in studying the quality of life (QOL) of people with leprosy. However, the DLQI has not been used to evaluate the QOL of people cured of leprosy in Vietnam.<br />
Objectives: To evaluate the QOL of people being treated for leprosy (Group A), people cured of leprosy (Group B), and controls (Group C), in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and the surrounding province.<br />
Methods: 102 (34 matched sets) adult participants were enrolled using a consecutive sampling technique. Groups B and C were matched to patients receiving leprosy treatment (Group A). Participants were interviewed, collating background characteristics, self-rated disability and stigma, and the validated Vietnamese DLQI.<br />
Results: The sample’s median age was 41; each group had 28 men and six women. For the DLQI, Groups A &amp; B had significantly higher (lower QOL) scores than Group C for multiple subdomain scores, including symptoms &amp; feelings (A vs C, p ¼ 0·0004; B vs C, p ¼ 0·001), work &amp; school (A vs C, p ¼ 0·003; B vs C, p ¼ 0·006), and the total DLQI score (A vs C, p ¼ 0·0009; B vs C, p ¼ 0·0025).<br />
Conclusion: The DLQI results shed greater light on the QOL disparity related to leprosy. Clinically, the mean total DLQI scores from both Groups A &amp; B suggest that their skin condition has a ‘small effect’ on their life. The results highlight the fact that the burden of leprosy on QOL does not necessarily fully disappear once a person is cured of leprosy.</p>