The tangled web: a study of knowledge and attitude towards leprosy from a tertiary care hospital in India

Leprosy stands tall among the oldest and most misunderstood diseases of man. Today leprosy is easily treated; unfortunately, persistent misconceptions result in unnecessary stigmatization. Thus the present study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding leprosy in people with and without leprosy, factors affecting the same; and to study their relationship with treatment status in leprosy patients. Detailed knowledge and attitude questionnaires were administered to 260 subjects (100 leprosy patients, 60 family members of leprosy patients and 100 people with non-leprosy skin diseases) at AIIMS, New Delhi. Crude scores based on subject responses were used for inter-group comparisons. Leprosy patients had significantly higher knowledge scores than family members who in turn scored significantly higher than people with other skin diseases. Leprosy patients had fair knowledge about common symptoms, but awareness about MDT was low. Delayed diagnosis and non-compliance were common. Attitudes did not differ between groups. Fear of the leprosy-affected and reluctance for physical contact, food sharing and marriage were prominent. Treated leprosy patients had the highest knowledge scores. Higher education and greater knowledge scores were positive predictors of attitude. Knowledge and attitude scores showed significant positive correlation. Knowledge and attitude towards leprosy are unsatisfactory. Improving knowledge may help to improve attitudes. In the post-elimination era, we must incorporate education about the disease into routine care of leprosy patients and focus on community education about leprosy.