LEPROSY
Leprosy Review
0305-7518
British Leprosy Relief Association
Colchester, UK
19-1200
0305-7518/16/064053+10
10.47276/lr.87.2.191
Original Papers
Is the WHO disability grading system for leprosy related to the level of functional activity and social participation?
SouzaVivian Taís Cunha De
aJúniorWalderi Monteiro Da Silva
bJesusAmélia Maria Ribeiro De
bOliveiraDaniela Teles De
bRaptisHelli Alkisti
bFreitasPaulo Henrique Luiz De
ba
Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Lagarto, Sergipe, Brazil
b
Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil
c
Research Center of Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Correspondence to: Sheila Schneiberg, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Campus Lagarto, Physical Therapy Department, Centro, Lagarto, Sergipe, Brazil, CEP: 49400-970. (Tel:+011-55-79-3024-0875; e-mail: sheilaschneiberg@gmail.com)
01062016
87
2
191
200
06042016
© Lepra
2016
To investigate the relationship between the WHO disability grading system for leprosy with the limitations to perform daily functional activities and the decrease in social participation in participants with leprosy.
Participants with a diagnosis of leprosy were recruited at the dermatology ambulatory clinic of the University Hospital of Sergipe. In order to investigate the association of WHO disability grading system for leprosy with activities of daily living measured with the Screening Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (SALSA) scale and with the social participation (P-scale), we performed an analysis with the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Spearman coefficient.
Thirty-six patients diagnosed with leprosy participated in the study. Most of participants had mild to moderate daily activity limitations and 58% of participants did not have any restriction participation. The findings demonstrated that the WHO grading is associated with the level of activity (P < 0.0001; 𝜌 = 0.58), but not with the level of participation (P > 0.05; 𝜌 = 0.27).
Although the WHO grading system is used in Brazil and worldwide as an epidemiological indicator to explain the burden of leprosy, the results of this study demonstrated that in our sample the WHO grading system was not associated with participation. Participation is a complex construct with the influence of different psychosocial factors. In order to determine social participation damage of infectious diseases such as leprosy, it is necessary to develop new index of classification based on a broader definition of disability. Health professionals should consider the international classification of function and health (ICF) to develop such index.
DisabilityParticipationImpairmentActivityICF