Is knowledge of leprosy adequate among teachers? A comparative study.

A cross-sectional comparative study on the levels of knowledge and attitude on leprosy among teachers and students was carried out in a rural area of Vellore district in Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 30 teachers and 120 students participated in the study. It was found that knowledge about leprosy among teachers was inadequate. Only 23.4% of teachers stated that germs caused leprosy, while 23.4% mentioned immoral conduct, 20.0% marrying a leprosy patient, 6.6% insects and 26.6% did not know the causes of leprosy. While 80.0% of teachers knew that anaesthetic hypopigmented patches were a sign of leprosy, enlarged painful nerves were not mentioned by a single teacher, although this sign was identified by 17.5% of students. Teachers had a more positive attitude towards leprosy than students and this was statistically significant (p < 0.001). This paper discusses the need for continuous education, especially for teachers and through them the students, using different media so as to ensure sustained knowledge for behavioural change in the community.