02254nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001500059653001000074653000900084653002900093653001100122653004200133653001100175653001200186653000900198653001600207653001200223653002300235653003000258653002600288653003100314100001400345700001400359245012600373300001100499490000700510050001400517520137100531022001401902       1997                            d  c1997 Jul-Sep10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aCultural Characteristics10aFemale10aHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNigeria10aPatient Compliance10aPredictive Value of Tests10aSocioeconomic Factors10aSurveys and Questionnaires1 aNwosu C M1 aNwosu S N00aSocio cultural factors in leprosy: implications for control programmes in the post leprosaria abolition years in Nigeria.  a126-320 v16  aNWOSU19973 a<p>A questionnaire was administered to 53 male and female leprosy patients aged 17-78 years, randomly selected from four clinics in two Local Government Areas of the Eastern part of Nigeria to determine the impact of socio cultural factors on, and also to predict the chances of compliance at, leprosy control measures. About 60% of the patients indicated that traditional concepts were the likely factors explaining the aetiology of leprosy. Four patients were convinced about the microbial aetiology of leprosy. Traditional concepts of leprosy aetiology were significantly associated with mode of entry into the control programme (P < 0.025) and tendency to live within the vicinity of the leprosy clinics (P < 0.01) but not with clinic attendance rate of leprosy patients. The distance of patient's abode from clinic attended, some formal education and whether or not patient's spouses were alive, were not significantly associated with clinic attendance rate. There was a significant association between maleness, age less than 55 years (P < 0.025) as well as negative family attitude (P < 0.05) and irregular clinic attendance. Its implications therefore are to broadly categorize these at risk group at first contact and target towards them patient-holding methods as well as health education, targetted towards patients, their relations and the community.</p>  a0189-160X