Socio cultural factors in leprosy: implications for control programmes in the post leprosaria abolition years in...

A questionnaire was administered to 53 male and female leprosy patients aged 17-78 years, randomly selected from four clinics in two Local Government Areas of the Eastern part of Nigeria to determine the impact of socio cultural factors on, and also to predict the chances of compliance at, leprosy control measures. About 60% of the patients indicated that traditional concepts were the likely factors explaining the aetiology of leprosy. Four patients were convinced about the microbial aetiology of leprosy. Traditional concepts of leprosy aetiology were significantly associated with mode of entry into the control programme (P < 0.025) and tendency to live within the vicinity of the leprosy clinics (P < 0.01) but not with clinic attendance rate of leprosy patients. The distance of patient's abode from clinic attended, some formal education and whether or not patient's spouses were alive, were not significantly associated with clinic attendance rate. There was a significant association between maleness, age less than 55 years (P < 0.025) as well as negative family attitude (P < 0.05) and irregular clinic attendance. Its implications therefore are to broadly categorize these at risk group at first contact and target towards them patient-holding methods as well as health education, targetted towards patients, their relations and the community.