LIMITAÇÃO DE ATIVIDADE EM PESSOAS AFETADAS PELA HANSENÍASE EM MUNICÍPIO HIPERENDÊMICO DO MARANHÃO

Abstract

Leprosy in Brazil is considered a public health problem due to its magnitude and its high disabling power, which causes the affected person to have limited activities. The activity limitation caused by leprosy happens not only on a personal level, but also on a social, economic and emotional level. To assess the limitation of activity, an international scale, the Screening Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness – SALSA escale, was developed. The aim of this study was to analyze the activity limitation in people affected by leprosy in a hyper-endemic municipality in Maranhão. This is a retrospective, analytical cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. The study was carried out in the city of São Luís, in a state reference unit for leprosy. The target population comprised all new cases of leprosy, resident in the city of São Luís – MA, aged 18 years or older, notified by the reference unit in the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System between 2010 and 2017, with the sample consisting of 111 medical records. Higher frequencies were observed for the age group 34 to 49 years old, females, race / brown color and schooling from complete high school to incomplete higher education. Regarding clinical characteristics, the highest percentages were of the Dimorphous clinical form, multibacillary operational classification, degree of incapacity equal to zero, up to 5 dermatological lesions, up to 3 affected nerves, there was never a reaction episode, there was no intolerance to dapsone and negative bacilloscopy. Regarding the SALSA score, 82.88% of the people presented without limitation and 17.12% with some restriction. It is concluded from the results of this study that the previously established objectives were achieved. The analysis of the SALSA scale scores for the studied sample showed that most individuals were without activity limitations and of those with limitations, the majority were in the light category. There may also be a significant statistical association between activity limitation and the affected nerves variables and the presence of dapsone intolerance.