INVESTIGATIONS ON THE AWARENESS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO THE PROBLEM OF LEPROS

Abstract

The knowledge and appreciation of high school students in regard to leprosy was investigated as an aid in improving the leprosy prevention program.
Five thousand questionnaires each were distributed in a relatively prevalent prefecture Gifu, and in Ibaragi Prefecture where leprosy is relatively rare. The response was 78.5%
The results show that of all the major diseases, leprosy is the most feared and this fear is extreme compared with others. The cause for the fear was emotional in the greater number (42.9%) followed by incurability of medical therapy (33.3%).
The causal factor was reported as infection in the wide sense, including predisposition by 58.0% but 25.9% believed that heredity was the cause.
Though leprosy was feared, there was no special prejudice towards leprosy patients and the majority (91.0%)were sympathetic.
Almost all reported that the proper steps would be taken if leprosy was found in members of the family or relatives but the answers were reasonless as what the individual would do if himself contracted leprosy. In answer to the question as what you would do if leprosy was discovered in the family of the person who you had selected for marriage, 58.9% answered, that the engagement would be broken. This was especially true in the case of girls.
Knowledge concerning the possibility of cure was low (11.7%)but the attitude toward patients who would be returned to society was cooperative in 45.0%, rational in 40.5%, and negative or uninterested in 12.8%
Knowledge concerning leprosy was lower in Ibaragi prefecture than in Gifu prefecture and more girls than boys still had a mistaken idea about leprosy.