01689nas a2200409   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001600080653001000096653002300106653001100129653001200140653001100152653001400163653001200177653001100189653000900200653001600209653001700225653002100242653001600263653002600279100001900305700001200324700001500336700001500351700001200366700001500378245011200393856004100505300001100546490000700557520070100564022001401265       1994                            d  c1994 Sep10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAge Factors10aChild10aEducational Status10aFemale10aHousing10aHumans10aIncidence10aleprosy10aMalawi10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aRisk Factors10aRural Population10aSex Factors10aSocioeconomic Factors1 aPonnighaus J M1 aFine PE1 aSterne J A1 aMalema S S1 aBliss L1 aWilson R J00aExtended schooling and good housing conditions are associated with reduced risk of leprosy in rural Malawi.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v62n3a01.pdf  a345-520 v623 a<p>Incidence rates of leprosy in Karonga District, northern Malawi, are analyzed by duration of schooling and housing conditions, controlling for age, sex, BCG scar and geographical zone of the household. There is a strong inverse relationship between the number of completed years of schooling and leprosy risk. Good housing conditions are also associated with a decreased risk of developing leprosy in this population. The effect of housing is seen most strongly in young people. It is hypothesized that schooling changes behavior and housing determines environment in ways which are relevant for the transmission of Mycobacterium leprae or for the appropriate priming of the immune system.</p>  a0148-916X