Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40260483›Full record

ArticleQualitative health research2026

Lessons From the Past, Hope for the Future: A Qualitative Study on the Lives of Leprosy-Affected Residents of a Leprosy Settlement in Malaysia.

Norana Abdul Rahman, Vaikunthan Rajaratnam, Noor Hanis M Rafee, Cynthia Ramachandran, Ruth M H Peters, Karen Morgan, Mohamed Rusli Abdullah, Marjolein B M Zweekhorst

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Article in Qualitative health research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Norana Abdul RahmanCentre for Research Excellence, Perdana University, Serdang, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0003-1001-1275
Vaikunthan RajaratnamDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0001-7498-4995
Noor Hanis M RafeeNational Leprosy Control Centre, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Sungai Buloh, Malaysia.
Cynthia RamachandranNational Leprosy Control Centre, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Sungai Buloh, Malaysia.
Ruth M H PetersAthena Institute, Vrije University, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Karen MorganSchool of Medicine, RCSI-UCD Malaysia Campus, Georgetown, Malaysia.
Mohamed Rusli AbdullahSchool of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia.
Marjolein B M ZweekhorstAthena Institute, Vrije University, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Sungai Buloh Leprosarium in Malaysia, established in 1930, provided relief for many individuals with leprosy, yet their personal narratives remain largely untold. This study explored the lived experiences of older individuals affected by leprosy at the Leprosarium, focusing on their concerns, needs, and challenges. By examining the historical context and key themes from interviews with leprosy-affected participants, the study aimed to enhance their well-being and provide insights applicable to leprosy-affected individuals in the community, other leprosaria, and older individuals in institutional care settings. The participants comprised eight women and ten men, aged 41-84 years, with a mean age of 73.7 years. These participants, selected via purposive and snowball sampling, were interviewed for 40-45 minutes over two sessions to allow rest breaks. The interviews were transcribed, validated, and analyzed using NVivo 14 software through an inductive-deductive thematic approach. Results showed hope is a transformative coping strategy, emerging as the overarching theme, guiding participants through the challenges of leprosy. Other themes included navigating the bio-psychosocial challenges of leprosy, life within the leprosarium, practical coping strategies in daily life, parental separation from infants at birth and its emotional toll, and expressing gratitude for the opportunities and care provided by the leprosarium. These themes demonstrated how hope shaped participants' resilience and resourcefulness, enabling them to positively reframe their experiences. This study emphasized the role of hope and the importance of support systems in fostering resilience and improving the quality of life of individuals with leprosy and older adults in institutional care settings.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PsychologicalHopeLeprosyAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicLeper ColoniesMalaysiaMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchQuality of LifeHansen’s diseaseleprosylived experiencesMalaysiaqualitative studySungai Buloh Leprosarium

Identifiers

PMID40260483
PMCPMC13241597

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.