02572nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260004300042653001400085653002000099653001100119653001400130653001200144100001400156700001200170700001200182700002100194700001200215700001500227700001100242245016900253856004800422300001200470490000700482520179100489022001402280       2026                            d  c06/2026bMaad Rayan Publishing Company10aSelf-care10aQuality of Life10aStigma10aKnowledge10aleprosy1 aSusanto T1 aAti NAL1 aRasni H1 aSusumaningrum LA1 aKurdi F1 aHandoko DR1 aSoh KL00aLeprosy Self-Care Health Management: A Quasi-Experimental Study for Assessing the Quality of Life and Stigma in People Affected by Leprosy in Rural Areas, Indonesia  uhttps://ehsj.skums.ac.ir/PDF/ehsj-26513.pdf  a22 - 340 v133 a<p><strong>Introduction:</strong></p>

<p>Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease that poses serious health challenges in Indonesia, necessitating comprehensive interventions to improve outcomes and quality of life (QoL). Accordingly, this research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of leprosy self-care health management on the QoL and stigma of people affected by leprosy in the rural areas of Indonesia.</p>

<p><strong>Methods:</strong></p>

<p>A quasi-experimental study with a control-group design was conducted, involving people affected by leprosy selected to receive the intervention (n=46) and a control group (n=45). Participants in the intervention group received two sessions of health education activities on leprosy self-care and health management over one month. The outcome measures included the QoL, social stigma and social distance, the dermatology life quality index, exercise of self-care agency, and knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to leprosy.</p>

<p><strong>Results:</strong></p>

<p>The independent T-test revealed the significant effect of leprosy self-care health management on the QoL (P=0.001). There was a significant difference in mean self-care scores among individuals affected by leprosy between the intervention and control groups (P=0.030). The intervention group also demonstrated considerable effects on community stigma (P=0.026), social distancing (P=0.001), and knowledge, attitude, and practices related to leprosy among individuals influenced by leprosy (P=0.001) before and after the intervention.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusion:</strong></p>

<p>Our findings confirmed the benefits of self-care health management for persons affected by leprosy, emphasizing their role in improving QoL and self-care abilities.</p>
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