Hand Disability Grading in Leprosy: Associated Risk Factors

Leprosy is an important chronic infectious disease in many developing countries with a projection of 1 million people living with WHO grade 2 disability by 2020. Several factors are thought to play a role in disability development in leprosy including the type of leprosy, the number of nerve trunk involved, leprosy reaction and duration of active disease. The aim of this study is to understand associated risk factors for the development of hand disability in leprosy patients in Indonesia. This is a cross-sectional study on 77 leprosy patients conducted in August 2019 in Alverno Leprosy Hospital, Singkawang, Indonesia to study the risk factors for hand disability. Associated risk factors include age with odds of 1.055 CI (1.015-1.096) p 0.007, females with odds 0.156 CI (0.048-0.508) p 0.002 and history of dropout from treatment with odds 4.225 CI (1.158-15.410) p 0.029. Understanding risk factors for hand disability in leprosy is an important step in moving towards reducing the rate of this disability development. Reducing the duration of active disease by early detection, prompt as well as adequate treatment and strict follow-up are likely to be critical factors in reducing the risk of disability.