02165nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653001700054653001700071653002100088653001500109100002900124700002400153700001200177700002200189700002600211245008500237856026000322300000900582490000700591520133700598       2019                            d10aleprosy10aEpidemiology10aRisk Factors10aDisabled Persons10aDisability1 aSilva Rezende da Silva J1 aProença Palmeira I1 aSá AMM1 aVidal Nogueira LM1 aRodrigues Ferreira AM00a[Clinical variables associated to the degree of physical disability in leprosy].  uhttp://scholar.google.nl/scholar_url?url=https://revistacuidarte.udes.edu.co/index.php/cuidarte/article/download/618/1058&hl=nl&sa=X&d=13249431677781380904&scisig=AAGBfm00xGeF8neiE9Cc7MpaLVWNYRsPRA&nossl=1&oi=scholaralrt&hist=732gnZIAAAAJ:7757451093182572  ae6180 v103 a<p>Peripheral nerve damage gives rise to physical disabilities due to leprosy, leading to social stigma and suffering. The purpose of this work was to analyze the association between clinical variables and degrees of physical disability in new cases of leprosy. <strong>Materials and Methods: </strong>A cross-cutting analytical study was conducted at the Leprosy Reference Unit in Pará State, Brazil. Data were retrieved from 323 medical records of patients diagnosed with leprosy between 2005 and 2014. Prevalence Ratio (PR) calculation was used to verify the strength of association between variables. <strong>Results: </strong>The percentage of degree 1 and 2 physical disabilities was added up to 28.1% and clinical variables associated to its rise were: being a multibacillary type (PR=7.2), having a sputum-smear positive (PR=2.0), presenting reactional episodes (PR=2.4) and having 4 or more affected nerves (PR=17.) <strong>Discussion: </strong>The predominance of the contagious and potentially incapacitating clinical form increases the risk of reactions and neural compromise, which leads to disability. <strong>Conclusions: </strong>More effective actions are required to strengthen the leprosy program in order to improve early diagnosis, reduce disability and potentiate the operating capacity of primary care.</p>