Assessment of knowledge and attitude toward leprosy among undergraduate medical students in north Kerala

Objectives: India accounts for the largest number of leprosy cases in the world, followed by Brazil and Indonesia. Inadequate knowledge about the disease and the disabilities associated is the root cause of stigma associated with leprosy. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent disabilities and reduce transmission. Medical students should have adequate knowledge about leprosy so that they can break the misconceptions in society and help to identify the cases early.

Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based descriptive cross-sectional study was done among undergraduate medical students from 1st year to final years in a medical college in North Kerala to assess their knowledge and attitude toward leprosy. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess the association between knowledge and attitude. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The study was done on 731 MBBS students among which 23% were males and 77% were females. 50.8% of students had good knowledge of leprosy and 64.8% of students had a positive attitude toward leprosy. Compared to the 1st year students, final-year students had a better knowledge and attitude toward the disease and this difference were statistically significant which indicates good training in undergraduate period.

Conclusion: Knowledge and attitude toward leprosy among medical students were found to be favorable. Certain aspects, such as vaccines and treatment of leprosy need more emphasis.