Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: JOSE FELIPE COSTA DA SILVA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JOSE FELIPE COSTA DA SILVA
DATE: 13/04/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Meet
TITLE:

Leprosy in elderly people in Northeastern Brazil: Clinical and sociodemographic profile, physical disabilities, and health education and rehabilitation strategies.

KEY WORDS:

 Leprosy. Elderly person. Health education. Rehabilitation. Functionality.

PAGES: 154
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Saúde Coletiva
SUMMARY:

Introduction: Leprosy is a chronic and curable infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, characterized by involvement of the skin and peripheral nerves, which can cause sensory and motor alterations. The disease can affect individuals of different age groups; however, in elderly people, it tends to be associated with a higher risk of physical disabilities, due to functional vulnerability and the presence of comorbidities related to aging. Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical profile of elderly people with leprosy in the Northeast region of Brazil, to identify the distribution of physical disabilities in this group, and to investigate the educational strategies and therapeutic exercises used in the care and follow-up of these cases. Methodology: This thesis was developed using different methodological approaches. Initially, a cross-sectional study was conducted with data from elderly people with leprosy registered in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). A documentary study was also conducted to investigate educational resources on leprosy available on platforms linked to the Ministry of Health. In addition, a scoping review was carried out to identify the main modalities of therapeutic exercises used in the rehabilitation of disabilities associated with leprosy, and an integrative review was conducted on the use of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) as an instrument for assessing functionality in older adults. Results: The thesis comprises five studies. The first analyzed the sociodemographic and clinical profile of older adults with leprosy in Northeast Brazil. The second investigated the factors associated with neural impairment and physical disabilities in this population group. The third study analyzed educational resources for prevention and health promotion on leprosy available on platforms of the Ministry of Health. The fourth study identified and mapped the modalities of therapeutic exercises used in the treatment and rehabilitation of people with leprosy. Finally, the fifth study evaluated the use of WHODAS 2.0 as an instrument for assessing functionality in elderly people living in the community. Final considerations: The results showed a high occurrence of leprosy in elderly people in the Northeast region of Brazil, with a higher concentration of cases in states such as Maranhão and Piauí, a predominance in males, and an association with low levels of education. A relationship was also observed between lower levels of socioeconomic development and a higher occurrence of the disease. Neural impairment proved to be an important determinant of physical disabilities in this group. The analysis of educational resources indicated that the available materials prioritize early detection and treatment of the disease. Furthermore, therapeutic exercises, especially those focused on muscle strengthening and stretching, demonstrated potential in the functional rehabilitation of people with leprosy. The use of WHODAS 2.0 proved to be a useful tool for assessing and monitoring the functionality of elderly people, especially in the context of primary health care.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2374850 - THAIZA TEIXEIRA XAVIER NOBRE
Interna - 2262871 - ANA ELZA OLIVEIRA DE MENDONCA
Externa à Instituição - LUCIANA ARAUJO DOS REIS - UESB