02020nas a2200229 4500000000100000008004100001260002900042653002000071653001900091653001200110653002500122653000900147100001400156700001700170700001500187700001400202245009700216856011300313300001200426490000700438520134500445 2025 d bHind Kusht Nivaran Sangh10aQuality of Life10aNorthern India10aLeprosy10aTertiary care centre10aDLQI1 aA Fatima 1 aS Chaudhary 1 a RA Jamil 1 a Ratnika 00aTransforming Lives: Understanding the Quality of Life of Leprosy Patients in Northern India uhttps://ijl.org.in/published-articles/20062025133706/5_Original__Alisha_Fatima_et_al_April_June_2025_pdf.pdf a133-1410 v973 a
Leprosy also known as Hansen’s disease, is a long-lasting infectious condition that considerably affects the quality of life of those affected. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact on quality of life of leprosy patients in a tertiary care center located in North India. 172 patients suffering from leprosy and aged 16 or over were recruited for the study, and their quality of life was measured using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). From the data, it was found that a large section of the sample population (90.7%) noted that their quality of life has reduced with a mean DLQI score of 9.31±6.21. Patients suffering from lepromatous leprosy and pure neuritic types had worse quality of life estimates compared to borderline and tuberculoid leprosy patients who reported having relatively better estimates. Also, the presence of complications and the duration of illness significantly lowered the quality-of-life scores. The demographic characteristics which included age, sex, marital status and socio-economic status did not relate significantly to the DLQI scores. The study demonstrates the heterogenous burden of leprosy from physical, psychological, and social perspectives and highlights the importance of developing comprehensive care plans alongside medical attention to enhance patient outcomes.