Leprosy perceptions and knowledge in endemic districts in India and Indonesia: Differences and commonalities

Autor: Suchitra Lisam, Anna T. van ‘t Noordende, Vivek Kumar Singh, Atif Sadiq, Ida J. Korfage, Miftahol Arifin, Willem Herman van Brakel, Panca Ruthindartri
Přispěvatelé: Public Health
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Bacterial Diseases
Male
Health Knowledge
Attitudes
Practice
Social stigma
Cross-sectional study
RC955-962
Social Stigma
Psychological intervention
Social Sciences
Cultural Anthropology
Geographical Locations
0302 clinical medicine
Medical Conditions
Sociology
Psychological Attitudes
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
Medicine and Health Sciences
Psychology
Public and Occupational Health
030212 general & internal medicine
Medical Personnel
Aged
80 and over
Middle Aged
Religion
Professions
Infectious Diseases
Social Systems
Health education
Female
Leprosy
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Behavioral and Social Aspects of Health
Research Article
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Asia
Adolescent
030231 tropical medicine
Oceania
Stigma (botany)
India
Qualitative property
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
medicine
Humans
Aged
Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Biology and Life Sciences
medicine.disease
Tropical Diseases
Focus group
Cross-Sectional Studies
Indonesia
Family medicine
Anthropology
People and Places
Population Groupings
Perception
Zdroj: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (print), 15(1):e0009031, 1-19. Public Library of Science
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 15, Iss 1, p e0009031 (2021)
ISSN: 1935-2735
Popis: Background Understanding how knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding leprosy differ in endemic countries can help us develop targeted educational and behavioural change interventions. This study aimed to examine the differences and commonalities in and determinants of knowledge, attitudes, practices and fears regarding leprosy in endemic districts in India and Indonesia. Principle findings A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used. Persons affected by leprosy, their close contacts, community members and health workers were included. Through interview-administered questionnaires we assessed knowledge, attitudes, practices and fears with the KAP measure, EMIC-CSS and SDS. In addition, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. The quantitative data were analysed using stepwise multivariate regression. Determinants of knowledge and stigma that were examined included age, gender, participant type, education, occupation, knowing someone affected by leprosy and district. The qualitative data were analysed using open, inductive coding and content analysis. We administered questionnaires to 2344 participants (46% from India, 54% from Indonesia) as an interview. In addition, 110 participants were interviewed in-depth and 60 participants were included in focus group discussions. Knowledge levels were low in both countries: 88% of the participants in India and 90% of the participants in Indonesia had inadequate knowledge of leprosy. In both countries, cause, mode of transmission, early symptoms and contagiousness of leprosy was least known, and treatment and treatability of leprosy was best known. In both countries, health workers had the highest leprosy knowledge levels and community members the highest stigma levels (a mean score of up to 17.4 on the EMIC-CSS and 9.1 on the SDS). Data from the interviews indicated that people were afraid of being infected by leprosy. Local beliefs and misconceptions differed, for instance that leprosy is in the family for seven generations (Indonesia) or that leprosy is a result of karma (India). The determinants of leprosy knowledge and stigma explained 10–29% of the variability in level of knowledge and 3–10% of the variability in level of stigma. Conclusion Our findings show the importance of investigating the perceptions regarding leprosy prior to educational interventions in communities: even though knowledge levels were similar, local beliefs and misconceptions differed per setting. The potential determinants we included in our study explained very little of the variability in level of knowledge and stigma and should be explored further. Detailed knowledge of local knowledge gaps, beliefs and fears can help tailor health education to local circumstances.
Author summary This study aimed to examine the differences and commonalities in and determinants of knowledge, attitudes, practices and fears regarding leprosy in endemic districts in India and Indonesia. Persons affected by leprosy, their close contacts, community members and health workers were included. We administered questionnaires (the KAP measure, EMIC-CSS and SDS) to 2344 participants. In addition, 110 participants were interviewed in-depth and 60 participants were included in focus group discussions. Knowledge levels were low. In both countries, cause, mode of transmission, early symptoms and contagiousness of leprosy was least known, and treatment and treatability of leprosy was best known. In both countries, health workers had the highest leprosy knowledge levels and community members the highest stigma levels. Data from the interviews indicated that people were afraid of being infected by leprosy. Local beliefs and misconceptions differed. The potential determinants we included in our study explained very little of the variability in level of knowledge and stigma and should be explored further. Our findings show the importance of investigating the perceptions regarding leprosy prior to educational interventions in communities: even though knowledge levels were similar, local beliefs and misconceptions differed per setting.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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