Leprosy is potentially debilitating. The present study aims at describing and assessing the occurrence of physical disabilities in cases of leprosy in the population of the Vale do Jequitinhonha/MG, in the period 1998-2006. It is an epidemiological descriptive study and the data were collected from the Leprosy Notification Forms. This information was processed using EPI-INFO and analyzed, based on the indicators recommended by the Ministry of Health and the force of association between variables. Of the 1461 cases notified, 46.2% were diagnosed with some kind of physical disability (12.1% degree II). Of these, 59.1% were male; 96.9% of the people were over 15 years old, and 93.2% were multibacillary (p < 0.001). A hidden prevalence of 433 cases was estimated in the period 2002-2006. The results show that the diagnosis of Hansen's disease in the region is late, revealing the need to intensify prevention and control.
BT - Revista latino-americana de enfermagem C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19229402?dopt=Abstract DA - 2008 Nov-Dec DO - 10.1590/s0104-11692008000600009 IS - 6 J2 - Rev Lat Am Enfermagem LA - eng N2 -Leprosy is potentially debilitating. The present study aims at describing and assessing the occurrence of physical disabilities in cases of leprosy in the population of the Vale do Jequitinhonha/MG, in the period 1998-2006. It is an epidemiological descriptive study and the data were collected from the Leprosy Notification Forms. This information was processed using EPI-INFO and analyzed, based on the indicators recommended by the Ministry of Health and the force of association between variables. Of the 1461 cases notified, 46.2% were diagnosed with some kind of physical disability (12.1% degree II). Of these, 59.1% were male; 96.9% of the people were over 15 years old, and 93.2% were multibacillary (p < 0.001). A hidden prevalence of 433 cases was estimated in the period 2002-2006. The results show that the diagnosis of Hansen's disease in the region is late, revealing the need to intensify prevention and control.
PY - 2008 SP - 993 EP - 7 T2 - Revista latino-americana de enfermagem TI - Physical disabilities resulting from Hansen's disease in Vale do Jequitinhonha/state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. UR - https://www.scielo.br/j/rlae/a/wjFMYyTBrjKXbbHvSZLMh3b/?lang=en VL - 16 SN - 0104-1169 ER -