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Disability and quality of life in individuals with postpolio syndrome
1Research and Development Unit, Psychiatry and Habilitation, Orebro Medical Centre Hospital, Sweden. gerd.ahlstrom@orebroll.se
Purpose:
The purpose of the study is to investigate disability and quality of life in individuals with the characteristic symptoms of postpolio syndrome.
Method:
Disability is assessed by means of the self-report activities of daily living instrument, and quality of life by means of Kaasa's questionnaire and the quality of life profile.
Results:
The 39 subjects have on average lived with polio sequelae for 52 years. Their main difficulties are with moving, lifting and carrying. This means restricted mobility, sedentary activities and a need to prioritize. Half of them feel that polio has lessened their possibilities in life, and a quarter have still not accepted the limitations polio has involved. Nevertheless the majority report a high level of psychosocial well-being, and almost a quarter say that living with polio has meant personal development and strength. We found a significant correlation between on the one hand disability with regard to ambulation, arm strength and finger strength on the self-report ADL, and on the other hand the number of negative problems on the quality of life profile (0.33-0.45).
Conclusion:
The latter instrument needs further testing before its validity can be determined with certainty.
