This research, carried in Guaiúba, Ceará, Brazil aimed to identify the difficulties for the treatment compliance of leprosy patients, relating the associated factors. This is a qualitative study; data was collected from a home visit in January 2009 using an interview guideline containing seven guiding questions. Diagnosed leprosy patients with history of non compliance to treatment participated of the study. It was used Roper, Logan and Tierney's Model of Life Activities. The speeches of the subjects were classified according to twelve life activities. The model utilization made possible a holistic approach on the barriers lived by leprosy patients in the compliance to drug treatment, in order to know the life activities of these patients to a possible adaptation of the actions addressed to this clientele.
Leprosy; Models nursing; Treatment refusal; Drug utilization