Knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward leprosy among undergraduate medical students in India

Abstract

Background: Leprosy is a communicable illness that is notorious for causing gradual and lifelong physical impairment. It affects peripheral nerves, the epidermis, and the mucosa of the upper respiratory tracts. The prevalence rate and yearly new case detection ratio in Haryana State are 0.23 and 1.57, respectively. Since, medical students are the future doctors of the society, it is vital that undergraduate medical students to be well rehearsed in the signs and symptoms and management of leprosy and National program for leprosy running in India. Therefore, survey is being conducted to study knowledge and attitude of undergraduate medical students toward leprosy and leprosy affected patients and compare knowledge and attitude among the recently admitted students and the outgoing students. Aims and Objectives: Evaluation of knowledge and attitude of undergraduate medical students toward leprosy. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted at medical college in Himachal Pradesh between July and December with total of 600 UG medical students selected randomly for the study. Data were gathered using a self-administered, pre-designed, and pre-tested questionnaire. Results: Out of the total 600 participants of the study, 329 (54.8%) were male students and 271 (45.2%) were female students. Maximum male students were in 3rd professional part II (58.7%). Students of 2nd prof., 3rd prof part I and 3rd Prof part II gave more correct answers to the questions assessing the knowledge about leprosy as compared to the 1st prof students. A significant difference was found between the knowledge, awareness, and attitude of recently admitted and outgoing undergraduate students. Conclusion: In the present study, majority of the participants, that is, around 54.8% were males and rest were females. In comparison to 1st-year students, students in the second and third Prof gave more accurate responses to questions concerning leprosy, including those testing knowledge of the disease’s common name, its cause, its mode of transmission, its kinds, its treatments, and its deformities. Most students across all professions gave negative answers when asked about their attitude, demonstrating their favorable feelings about leprosy sufferers.