Psychosocial impact of wheelchair usage on individuals with XXXX in Ibadan, Nigeria.

@entity1 @entity73 @entity717
BACKGROUND: Wheelchairs provide individuals with @entity73 opportunity for independent living within their environment. However, using this device may have psychosocial impacts with consequent influence on the quality of life of the users. The psychosocial impact of wheelchair usage among individuals with @entity717 in a Nigerian community was investigated. METHODS: The study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey. @entity1 who have been independent users of wheelchair for a minimum of six months prior to the study were recruited from centres for @entity1 with disabilities in Ibadan, Nigeria into the study. A profile of their use of the device was documented and the psychosocial impact of wheelchair was assessed using the Psychosocial Impact ofAssistive Devices Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at p = 0.05. RESULTS: Sixty consenting individuals with @entity717 participated in this study. Their mean age was 38.7 +/- 14.1 years. Majority (90%) were manual wheelchair users and two-thirds (63.3%) had been using the wheelchair for < or = five years. Approximately a third of the @entity1 use their wheelchairs occasionally. There was no significant difference (p=0.26) in the psychosocial impact of wheelchair usage between male and female users. CONCLUSION: The psychosocial impact of wheelchair was similar between male and female users. However, the impact was higher on the self-esteem of male than female users and lower on their competence than that of their female counterparts. This may be due to stigmatization or a culturally-related unwillingness of @entity1 in our environment to be dependent on others.
