“Physical disability and functional independence of spinal cord injury patients in the community after completing rehabilitation from Specialized Rehabilitation Centre”

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to identify the level of physical disability & functional independence of spinal cord injury patients after being discharged from specialized hospitals following complete rehabilitation program. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Dhaka district, Bangladesh. A total of 40 participants were conveniently selected from Savar and Shimulia Upazilla. Among them, 80% (n=32) were male, and 20% (n=08) were female. The participants had completed their rehabilitation from specialized hospitals. An interviewer-administered Bengali version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure scale (SCIM III) and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS 2.0). Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: The study included participants aged between 20 and 70 years. The most significant limitation was observed in the 'mobility' domain (mean ± SD: 19.87 ± 2.797) and respiration and sphincter management (mean ± 26.53 ± 15.275). Between age and gender and total score of WHODAS and SCIM have good correlation but the correlation is negative. That means, if age is increase then WHODAS will be decrease whereas both gender male and female it’s negatively correlated also education and occupation and total score of WODAS has no significant correlation but SCIM has significant correlation with education but has no significant correlation with occupation. Conclusion: This study provides a standardized measure of the impact of spinal cord injuries on activities of daily living. Among community-dwelling individuals with spinal cord injuries, the most significant barriers were observed in the domains of mobility and respiration and sphincter management. Keywords: Spinal cord injury, physical disability, functional independence, activities of daily living, quality of life, barriers, participation, community