Should nutritional status evaluation be included in the initial needs assessment of leprosy patients with disability prior to socio-economic

Abstract

Because of the large numbers of leprosy patients with disability and the lirnited resources available, it is important that socio-econornic rehabilitation (SER) is targeted towards those who are most in need. Towards this purpose, current assess ments of leprosy patients prior to initiating SER inc1ude the evaluation of income, assets and household possessions. Conspicuously absent is the nutritional assessment of the patient. In the absence of weight loss associated with illness, population studies indicate that undemutrition refiects poor socio-econornic conditions. In this study of 151 cured leprosy patients with disability, 57% of the patients were found to be undemourished using body mass index (kg/m 2) derived from body weight and height, and 10% of the patients were severely undemourished (grade 1lI). Undemutrition in the patients was poorly though significantly correlated with personal income (r = 0.18, P < 0.05). Total household income, reported arnount of money spent on food and estimated cereal intakes were not correlated with the BMI ofthe patient, possibly due to reporting bias and other methodological issues. We propose the inc1usion of nutritional status evaluation by anthropometry as part of the initial screening of leprosy patients prior to instituting SER. We believe that this simple and objective evaluation can add to the assessment of 'threat' of econornic deprivation or actual econornic 'dislocation', and thus help in the prioritization of leprosy patients for SER. While considerable efforts have been made to reduce the development of disability in leprosy patients, there are still a large number of cured leprosy patients with residual deformity. l In

Correlation between therapy and lipid profile of leprosy patients: is there a higher risk for developing cardiovascular diseases after treatment?

“…Similar results have been reported in other studies [16, 29]. In contrast, a high degree of malnutrition has been observed in studies conducted in India (BMI < 17 kg/m 2 ) [30, 31]. These discordant data occurred due to the different populations studied and the different feeding patterns of each of these populations.…”

Protein profile of leprosy patients with plantar ulcers from the Eastern Amazon region

“…Similar results were reported by Chaptini and Marsham [ 23 ], Moura et al [ 34 ], and Canicoba et al [ 35 ]. However, Vaz et al [ 36 ] and Khandapani and Mishra [ 37 ] reported a malnutrition rate of 57% among Indian patients with leprosy. This difference may be explained by the lower poverty rate in Latin America compared with India, where the frequency of malnutrition is higher.…”