Comparing the perception of community members towards leprosy and tuberculosis stigmatization.

BACKGROUND Health professionals at all levels gradually recognise the impact of stigma on case detection and treatment of various health conditions such as leprosy and tuberculosis. These diseases are identified as chronic diseases which are prone to stigmatisation. PURPOSE To assess the perception of community members towards stigma related to leprosy and tuberculosis, in order to verify and compare the existence of stigma towards these two diseases in the community, and to provide baseline data for the evaluation of future de-stigmatising interventions. METHODS This study was done in four sub-districts of Chaiyaphum province. Community members were interviewed using the EMIC stigma scale. Frequency was used to identify the percentage of community members who perceived stigma. A T-test was applied to compare the mean EMIC scores of community members between leprosy and tuberculosis. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered indicative of a statistically significant difference or association. RESULTS It was found that community members perceived that people affected by leprosy or tuberculosis were stigmatised by the community. However, community members perceived more stigma towards leprosy than towards tuberculosis, particularly in terms of shame, embarrassment, and problems in getting married. The difference was highly significant (P = 0.001, paired t-test). CONCLUSION The community's perceived stigma against people affected by either leprosy or tuberculosis may affect many aspects of their lives. The authors recommend use of strategically targeted de-stigmatising interventions that take local attitudes and perceptions into consideration.

[1]  W. V. van Brakel,et al.  Stigma in leprosy: concepts, causes and determinants. , 2014, Leprosy review.

[2]  B. Adhikari,et al.  Community attitudes towards leprosy affected persons in Pokhara municipality of western Nepal. , 2013, Journal of Nepal Health Research Council.

[3]  Weena Primkaew,et al.  Behaviors Contributing to Stigma against Leprosy in Nadoon District,Mahasarakham Province. , 2012 .

[4]  A. Wilder-Smith,et al.  Disability in people affected by leprosy: the role of impairment, activity, social participation, stigma and discrimination , 2012, Global health action.

[5]  S. Akksilp,et al.  Social Stigma and Knowledge of Tuberculosis and HIV among Patients with Both Diseases in Thailand , 2009, PloS one.

[6]  V. Chongsuvivatwong,et al.  Measuring stigma associated with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in southern Thailand: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of two new scales , 2008, Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH.

[7]  T. Hussain.  Leprosy and Tuberculosis: An Insight-Review , 2007, Critical reviews in microbiology.

[8]  V. Chongsuvivatwong,et al.  Social impact of tuberculosis in southern Thailand: views from patients, care providers and the community. , 2006, The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

[9]  N. Sartorius.  Lessons from a 10-year global programme against stigma and discrimination because of an illness 1 , 2006, Psychology, health & medicine.

[10]  M. Weiss,et al.  Health-related stigma: Rethinking concepts and interventions 1 , 2006, Psychology, health & medicine.

[11]  Wim H Van Brakel,et al.  Measuring health-related stigma—A literature review , 2006, Psychology, health & medicine.

[12]  Wim H. van Brakel,et al.  Measuring health-related stigma--a literature review. , 2006 .

[13]  Joy Rafferty,et al.  Curing the stigma of leprosy. , 2005, Leprosy review.

[14]  Heijnders Ml.  Experiencing leprosy: perceiving and coping with leprosy and its treatment. A qualitative study conducted in Nepal. , 2004 .

[15]  Heijnders Ml,et al.  The dynamics of stigma in leprosy. , 2004 .

[16]  S. Wakai,et al.  Depressive status of leprosy patients in Bangladesh: association with self-perception of stigma. , 2004, Leprosy review.

[17]  W. C. Smith,et al.  Delay in presentation in the context of local knowledge and attitude towards leprosy--the results of qualitative fieldwork in Paraguay. , 2003, International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association.

[18]  P. Nicholls.  Delay in presentation in the context of local knowledge and attitude towards leprosy : identifying contributing factors using qualitative methods , 2003 .

[19]  P. Saunderson,et al.  Social stigma: a comparative qualitative study of integrated and vertical care approaches to leprosy. , 2002, Leprosy review.

[20]  J. Scandlyn.  When AIDS became a chronic disease. , 2000, The Western journal of medicine.

[21]  L. Navon.  Beggars, metaphors, and stigma: a missing link in the social history of leprosy. , 1998, Social history of medicine : the journal of the Society for the Social History of Medicine.

[22]  A De Muynck,et al.  Perception and social consequences of tuberculosis: a focus group study of tuberculosis patients in Sialkot, Pakistan. , 1995, Social science & medicine.

[23]  Stanley Lemeshow,et al.  Adequacy of Sample Size in Health Studies. , 1991 .

[24]  Kamala Burathoki.  Gender, leprosy and leprosy control : a case study in the Far West and Eastern Development regions, Nepal , 2004 .

[25]  M L Heijnders,et al.  The dynamics of stigma in leprosy. , 2004, International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association.

[26]  C. Idawani,et al.  A case study in Aceh, Indonesia , 2002 .

[27]  C. Varkevisser,et al.  A case study in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil , 2002 .

[28]  P. Predaswat.  Khi Thut : the disease of social loathing : an anthropology of the stigma of leprosy in rural northeast Thailand , 1992 .