02965nas a2200433   4500000000100000008004100001260004900042653001500091653001000106653002800116653001100144653002000155653004200175653001100217653001000228653002400238653001200262653000900274653001600283653002700299653003800326653001500364653002500379653001700404653002100421653002600442653001600468100001200484700001400496700001400510700001400524700001400538245016200552856005000714300001100764490000700775520173500782022001402517       2011                            d  c2011 SepbLEPRA Health in ActionaColchester10aAdolescent10aAdult10aCross-Sectional Studies10aFemale10aHealth Behavior10aHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice10aHumans10aIndia10aInterviews as Topic10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNeurologic Examination10aPatient Acceptance of Health Care10aPrevalence10aQualitative Research10aRural Health10aRural Population10aSocioeconomic Factors10aYoung Adult1 aAtre SR1 aRangan SG1 aShetty VP1 aGaikwad N1 aMistry NF00aPerceptions, health seeking behaviour and access to diagnosis and treatment initiation among previously undetected leprosy cases in rural Maharashtra, India.  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/82/3/01-661  a222-340 v823 a<p><b>OBJECTIVES: </b>To study sociodemographic profiles, perceptions about leprosy and health seeking patterns among adult leprosy patients and parents of children with leprosy detected through a prevalence survey conducted earlier, in rural areas of Panvel tehsil in Maharashtra.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>The study was cross-sectional and used mixed (qualitative and quantitative) methods. Of the 97 confirmed rural leprosy cases who had been detected through the initial prevalence survey, 58 newly detected adult leprosy cases and parents of 22 children detected with leprosy were interviewed with a semistructured interview schedule between May 2008 and March 2009.</p><p><b>FINDINGS: </b>The study revealed that most of the leprosy patients belonged to the poor socioeconomic strata. Nearly 58% of the adult patients reported that they had been detected through the survey within 3 months of noticing their symptom(s) for the first time. Despite having been diagnosed and receiving treatment, only 48% of adult cases knew their condition as leprosy, reflecting their poor knowledge of the disease and lack of communication between providers and patients. The symptom 'patch on the skin' seems to have percolated in the community. Despite approaching the private or public sector for help in the first instance, many patients and children remained undiagnosed and untreated for leprosy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>Active surveys for leprosy case detection should substitute the self-reporting approach until IEC measures are sufficiently effective to achieve a significant impact on transmission. Nevertheless both approaches will need the presence of staff with active diagnostic skills and optimal drug availability at PHCs.</p>  a0305-7518