Quality of Life of Subjects with Leprosy and Albinism
Chukwuma M. Attama
Mental Health Unit, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
Monday N. Igwe *
Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
Nichodemus O. Obayi
Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
Emmanuel O. Olose
Department of Psychiatry, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Disfiguring skin disorders like leprosy and albinism may negatively distort a patient’s body image with resultant impairment in quality of life.
Objective: This study determined and compared the quality of life (QoL) of subjects with leprosy and those with albinism.
Methods: Two hundred subjects were recruited from a Leprosarium and The Albino Foundation in South East Nigeria. The participants were interviewed with Socio-demographic Interview Schedule and WHOQoL-Bref.
Results: Subjects with leprosy had lower QoL scores compared with subjects who have albinism in all domains. Male and female subjects with leprosy scored lower in all domains than male (p = 0.02) and female (p = 0.04) subjects with albinism. Married subjects with leprosy scored lower than married subjects with albinism in environment domain only (p= 0.04). Unmarried subjects with leprosy had lower QoL scores in the social relationship and environment domains (p = 0.01). Employed and unemployed subjects with leprosy scored lower than employed (p = 0.01) and unemployed (p = 0.03) subjects with albinism in all domains. Educated and uneducated subjects with leprosy scored lower than educated (p = 0.02) and uneducated (p = 0.03) subjects with albinism in all domains.
Conclusion: Impairment in QoL was greater in subjects with leprosy compared to those with albinism.
Keywords: Quality of life, leprosy, albinism