[Physical disabilities in Hansen's disease at the time of diagnosis. I. Disability evaluation]

The evaluation of the physical disabilities at the moment of the hanseniasis diagnosis was carried out through the clinical and epidemiological forms of the 8,915 cases recorded in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1981 to 1983. The records of the physical disabilities were studied by three different methods: the disabilities at their highest grade, the disabilities' grade index achieved from the arithmetic mean of the added values of the different disability grades, and the absolute disabilities frequency. The study suggested that the maximum grade was the best evaluation method of the physical disabilities at the moment of the diagnosis, being an important indicator for the evaluation of prevention efforts and of the hanseniasis control.