Perceived Social Stigma of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Hubuna, Saudi Arabia

Nahid K Elfaki,1 Mohammed Jamaan Alzahrani,2 Yahya Hussein Ahmed Abdalla,1 Abdullah I Adeh,3 Abdalla Mohammed Ahmed Osman Abdalla,1 Mugahed A Alkhadher,4 Samah R Elrefaey,1 Warga Hashim Hussein Abdelmagid,5 Faroq Alshameri,6 Ahmed Abdalla Jarelnape,7 Manal SA Hakami,7 Fahad Abdullah A Alghamdi,7 Yagoub Hamadt Allah Elhaj,8 Niemat MAA Dinar,7 Amal Abdelgadir Ali Mohamed,9 Elsadig Eltaher Hamed Abdulrahman,4 Duria Hassan Merghani Mohamed,10 Elwaleed Idris Sagiron,1 Maha Hamed Mohamed Ali,1,11 Waled AM Ahmed7 1Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 2Pediatric Department, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 3Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 4Medical- Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 5Maternity and Child Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 6Nursing Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Nursing, Alrayan Colleges, Almadina, Saudi Arabia; 7Faculty of Nursing, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia; 8Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Maternal and Child Nursing Sciences, College of Nursing, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; 10Faculty of Nursing, King Khalid University, Muhail Aseer, Saudi Arabia; 11Public Health Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Khamis Mushait Aseer, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Nahid K Elfaki, Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected] Waled AM Ahmed, Community Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966508245369, Email [email protected]: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne skin infection that remains prevalent in regions with poor socioeconomic conditions. Stigmatization occurs when individuals with physical or psychological disorders interact with societal stereotypes. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived social stigma surrounding CL among people residing in Hubuna, Saudi Arabia.Methods: This cross-sectional community-based survey recruited 618 individuals aged 18 years and above using the snowball sampling technique to reach hidden cases within the target population. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue for Perceived Social Stigma (EMIC-SS-12) was used to assess the level of perceived social stigma. It includes questions on demographic variables, behaviors, and experiences. The analysis was performed using SPSS.Results: The study included 618 participants, the majority of whom were women and girls (54.2%), with a mean age of 28 ± 12.7 years. The median score for perceived social stigma was 26.0. Only 2.1% (n = 13) of participants had the highest EMIC-SS-12 score of 36, while 7.6% (n = 47) scored zero. The mean score for overall perceived social stigma was 1.89 ± 0.91, while the mean score for experienced stigma was 1.99 ± 1.02. Univariate analysis showed that sex, employment, location of lesions, and number of lesions were insignificantly associated with stigmatization (P-value < 0.05), because these associations were uncertain because the CI includes or very close to 1.Conclusion: The study reveals insights into stigmatization associated with CL in the Habuna area of Saudi Arabia. It found that the median of perceived social stigma was 26. Factors such as sex, employment status, and location of the lesion are uncertainly associated with stigma. It is crucial to explore negative behaviors and perceptions and develop suitable health education programs.Keywords: social stigma, cutaneous leishmaniasis, Hubuna, Saudi Arabia, infectious disease