TABLE I. Risk factors related to leprosy cases (C) and controls (Co).
| Variables | C (n = 185) n (%) | Co (n = 136) n (%) | pa | OR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 99 (53.5) | 33 (24.3) | < 0.0001 | 3.593 (2.208, 5.847 ) |
| Female | 86 (46.5) | 103 (75.7) | - | 1.000 |
| Age (years) | ||||
| Mean (range) | 40.3 (4-81) | 29.1 (4-69) | < 0.0001b | 1.045 (1.029, 1.061 ) |
| Mycobacterium leprae RLEP | ||||
| PCR positive 219 (68.2%) | 128 (69.2) | 91 (66.9) | 0.7163 | 1.110 (0.691, 1.784) |
| PCR negative 102 (31.8%) | 57 (30.8) | 45 (33.1) | - | 1.000 |
| Education (years) | ||||
| < 4 | 110 (59.5) | 56 (41.2) | < 0.0001 | 3.036 (1.763, 5.227 ) |
| 4-8 | 42 (22.7) | 29 (21.3) | - | 2.238 (1.175, 4.265 ) |
| > 8 | 33 (17.8) | 51 (37.5) | - | 1.000 |
| Education of the head of the family (years) | ||||
| < 8 | 118 (69.0) | 57 (43.2) | < 0.0001 | 2.929 (1.826, 4.701 ) |
| > 8 | 53 (31) | 75 (56.8) | - | 1.000 |
| Socioeconomic status | ||||
| B/C | 61 (33) | 83 (61) | < 0.0001 | 1.000 |
| D/E | 124 (67) | 53 (39) | - | 3.183 (2.007, 5.049 ) |
| BCG scar | ||||
| Yes | 115 (63.9) | 105 (79.5) | 0.0037 | 1.000 |
| No | 65 (36.1) | 27 (20.5) | - | 2.198 (1.306, 3.701 ) |
| History of a previous contact with a leprosy case | ||||
| Yes | 114 (61.6) | 46 (33.8) | < 0.0001 | 3.141 (1.978, 4.989 ) |
| No | 71 (38.4) | 90 (66.2) | - | 1.000 |
a: Fisher exact test; b: Mann Whitney U test; CI: confidence interval; OR: odds ratio; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; RLEP: M. leprae-specific repetitive element.