02451nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653003000055653003000085653001000115653001900125653002500144653001100169653004200180653001100222653002300233653001200256653000900268653001600277653001000293653001400303653002000317653002000337653003000357653002800387653003100415653002200446100001800468245012000486856005100606300001100657490000700668050001900675520134500694022001402039       2004                            d  c2004 Dec10aAdaptation, Physiological10aAdaptation, Psychological10aAdult10aCohort Studies10aDeveloping countries10aFemale10aHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNepal10aPrognosis10aQuality of Life10aRisk Assessment10aSeverity of Illness Index10aSickness Impact Profile10aSurveys and Questionnaires10aTreatment Refusal1 aHeijnders M L00aExperiencing leprosy: perceiving and coping with leprosy and its treatment. A qualitative study conducted in Nepal.  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/75/4/32-7337  a327-370 v75  aHEIJNDERS 20043 a<p>The way people interpret their disease and its treatment, or the meanings of these, has an impact on the way they deal with their disease and its treatment; meanings shape actions. In this article, the influence of the patients' interpretations on their coping with leprosy and its treatment, their help seeking and adherence behaviour is explored. This article describes the findings of a qualitative study, in which 29 people who discontinued treatment and 47 people who were released from treatment were interviewed in depth. All were registered at general health posts. Exploring the meanings of leprosy and its treatment in patients in Nepal resulted in the identification of six different categories of meanings. Each of these influenced the way people coped with leprosy and its treatment, their help seeking and adherence behaviour. These different categories are discussed. The main conclusion is that the explanatory models of the interviewees and of the health worker are different and that if we want to improve our leprosy services more health education has to be given whilst at the same time listening more carefully to those affected by this disease. This will give us greater insight into the way people understand their disease and its treatment and the measures we can take to prevent discontinuation of treatment.</p>  a0305-7518