02637nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002700054653001200081653002000093653002200113653001900135100000900154700001000163700000900173700001100182700000900193700001200202245010700214856008600321300000900407490000700416520193400423022001402357       2023                            d  c11/202310acured leprosy patients10aleprosy10aQuality of Life10aself-care ability10aSocial Support1 aXu L1 aJin G1 aLi X1 aShao Y1 aLi Y1 aZhang L00aSelf-Care Ability and Life Quality of Cured Leprosy Patients: The Mediating Effects of Social Support.  uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10706674/pdf/healthcare-11-03059.pdf  a1-140 v113 a<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The study explores the relationship between social support, self-care ability, and life quality of cured leprosy patients (CLPs), aiming to develop strategies to enhance their overall well-being.</p>

<p><strong>Methods: </strong>From July to December 2021, we investigated the social support, self-care ability, and life quality of CLPs through three scales and analyzed the correlation between them. In addition, structural estimation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze their correlation.</p>

<p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 9245 CLPs were recruited, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.19:1, and 94.04% of cured patients was 60 years or above, with predominantly home-cured patients. The scores of WHOQOL-BREF, SSRS, and ESCA were (51.39 ± 9.89), (31.87 ± 8.76), and (100.95 ± 19.75), respectively. The results indicate a poorer quality of life and social support for CLPs compared to the general population in China. Furthermore, the home group had higher scores on these scales than the leprosarium group. The correlation analysis showed significant interactions between life quality, social support, self-care ability, and various domains ( &lt; 0.05). SEM results revealed that the direct effect of self-care ability on life quality was 0.13, and the indirect effect on quality of life through social support was 0.08. The mediating effect of social support accounted for 22.86% of the total effect in the home group. In the leprosarium group, the effect of self-care ability on quality of life was 0.14.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Most CLPs in Jiangsu Province are concentrated in the central region, with a high disease burden. We found that CLPs have a poorer life quality than the general population, with the leprosarium group being worse than the home group. The government and society should pay more attention to and support these cured patients.</p>
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