Leprosy Patients Attending the Out Patient’s Clinic at Agra: A Retrospective Analysis of the Characteristics and Frequency of Regularity VS Irregularity for Determining Absenteeism, Non-adherence and Non-compliance

This study reports a retrospective analysis of the records of 2709 leprosy patients, attending the Out patient’s Clinic at Agra, over a 1-year period, 2005. The patients with leprosy have been categorized into three groups, viz., regular, irregular and the drop-outs. The number of drop-out patients was significantly higher [Z=2.16, p=0.05] among males, 32.14% (667) when compared with females, 26.50% (168). Religion was not observed to be a significant determinant in the regularity, irregularity and/or drop-out among the patients but the locality/residential background seemed to play a key role in Clinic attendance. Patients from urban areas were less regular 38.9% (218) and the number of irregulars and drop-outs were more, i.e., 24.1% (135) and 37% (207), respectively when compared with the patients from rural areas [X² =14.894, p=0.00006]. Pauci-bacillary or multibacillary type of leprosy did not appear to be a significant determinant in the regularity, irregularity and / or drop-out among the patients. With regard to the various professions, the number of irregulars and drop-outs among patients engaged in some kind of business seemed to be more. The patients in whom the disease had become inactive, 69.7% (60) seemed to be more regular in clinic attendance than the patients with active leprosy disease. The irregularity and drop-out rate was significantly less [X²=5.107, p=0.078]. In all, 1226 (45.26%) patients were found to be regular in clinic attendance but 648 (23.92%) patients were irregular and 835(30.83%) patients were dropouts. The present study looked at the characteristics and factors responsible for irregular attendance of a large number of patients over a 1-year period, even after 50 years of implementation of the Leprosy Control/elimination programmes. This study is the first of its kind in Northern India.