@article{576,
  keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Anthropometry, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Disabled Persons, Female, Humans, Income, India, leprosy, Male, Middle Aged, Nutrition Disorders, Nutritional Status, Rural Health, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Unemployment},
  author = {Diffey B and Vaz M and Soares M J and Jacob A J and Piers L S},
  title = {The effect of leprosy-induced deformity on the nutritional status of index cases and their household members in rural South India: a socio-economic perspective.},
  abstract = {<p><b>OBJECTIVES: </b>To determine whether the socioeconomic and nutritional status of cured leprosy patients with residual deformity, and their household members, was lower than that of cured leprosy patients without deformity.</p><p><b>DESIGN: </b>Cross-sectional study.</p><p><b>SUBJECTS: </b>One hundred and fifty-five index cases with deformity, 100 without deformity. Also 616 household members comprising 48% of the total members enumerated.</p><p><b>MEASUREMENTS: </b>Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometry. Disease characteristics, socio-economic parameters and household information were recorded using a questionnaire.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Index cases with deformity had lower community acceptance (P<0.001), and employment (P<0.001) than those cases without deformity. Households of index cases with deformity had a lower income (P<0.01) and a lower expenditure on food (P<0.05). The presence of deformity (odds ratio (OR): 2.1-3.2, P<0.01), unemployment (OR: 2.3-4.3, P<0.01) and female gender (OR: 2.4, P<0. 01) significantly increased the risk of index cases being undernourished, as judged by body mass index (BMI) alone, or BMI and mid-upper arm circumference. A low BMI (<18.5) in the index case significantly increased the odds of other adults (OR 2.2), adolescents (OR 2.9-3.8) and children (OR 2.2) in the household being undernourished.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Cured leprosy index cases with physical deformity are more undernourished than index cases without deformity. This is associated with a reduced expenditure on food, possibly brought on by increased unemployment, and a loss of income. Undernutrition in the index case increases the risk of undernutrition in other members of the family. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 643-649.</p>},
  year = {2000},
  journal = {European journal of clinical nutrition},
  volume = {54},
  pages = {643-9},
  month = {2000 Aug},
  issn = {0954-3007},
  language = {eng},
}