Hansen’s disease: life quality analysis according to clinical characteristics

Hansen´s disease is an infectious and contagious disease with high morbidity indexes. It is a public health issue with patients´ negative life quality (LQ). Current study determines the life quality-based clinical factors of patients with Hansen´s Disease. Sixty-three patients with Hansen´s Disease participated in the research. They were attended to in a Reference Service Centre. World Health Organization Quality of Life Bref (WHOQOL- BREF) was applied to evaluate their LQ and linear regression was employed to assess the association between clinical variables and WHOQOL-BREF domains. Statistical analysis of mean LQ scores showed a significant difference in the physical domains for variables comorbidity (p= 0.043) and intake of medicines (p=0.007). After multiple linear regression, no other clinical variables under analysis proved to be associated with LQ. Patients with self-reported comorbidity and those who continually use medicine have lower LQ averages within the physical domain. Activities that contribute towards the promotion of integral health assistance and for the improvement of LQ for patients with Hansen´s Disease should be enhanced.