Health Status, Self-esteem and Participation: A Comparison Between Young Adults with Mobility Disability and Those Without Disability in a Nigerian Community

Abstract

The goal of rehabilitation for individuals with physical disability is to facilitate integration into society and to enhance their participation in family and community life activities. The objective of this study is to compare participation of Nigerians with mobility disability (the focus group) and their age-matched counterparts without any physical disability (control group). The influence of self-esteem and health status on participation was also investigated. A total of 90 individuals aged between 16 and 35 years, with 45 members in each group, took part in the study. Participation, self-esteem and health status were assessed in all participants using the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Nottingham Health Profile, respectively. Participation and health scores were significantly lower in the focus group. Although their self-esteem score was high (19.56±3.87), this was significantly lower than for the control group (U=720; p=0.01). Only the affected life areas (rho=0.36; p=0.01) and sleep (rho=−0.23; p=0.12) influenced participation in the focus and control groups respectively. The results showed that individuals with mobility disability have lower self-esteem, health status and participation compared with their age-matched peers without physical disability. However, the mean score obtained by the focus group indicates that they have high self-esteem. The sampling technique and sample size are important limitations of this report. © 2008 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.