Song S1,2, Barth CA3, Pheng P4, Chhea C5,6, Petoumenos K7, Suth S8
1International Committee of Red Cross, Physical Rehabilitation Programme, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2Cambodian Physical Therapy Association, Research and Training, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 3International Committee of Red Cross, Physical Rehabilitation, Geneva, Swaziland, 4University of Health Sciences, Research Grant Management Office, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 5Ministry of Health, National Institute of Public Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 6National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 7The Kirby Institute, Biostatistics and Databases Program, New South Wale, Australia, 8International Committee of Red Cross, Physiotherapy Field Officer, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Background: Limb amputation leads to permanent disability and impacts significantly on an individual's life and function. Compared to the general population, people with lower limb amputations have poorer quality of life (QoL), particularly those amputations caused by accident and war. There have been no longitudinal studies in Cambodia, and few elsewhere which have looked at changes in quality of life among adults with lower limb amputations after receiving rehabilitation services.
Purpose: This study aimed to examine predictors of quality of life improvement in people with lower limb amputations after receiving rehabilitation services (physiotherapy and prosthetic) in Cambodia.
Methods: People with lower limb amputations from seven physical rehabilitation centers in Cambodia were interviewed using the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale Adult questionnaire (composed of objective and subjective score) at the first day of registration and three months after discharge. A paired t-test examined the difference between the quality of life scores and Linear regression was used to identify factors potentially associated with changes in quality of life.
Results: 164 people were recruited, 125 combined baseline and follow up in this study. Approximately one quarter of these participants were female and the median age was 38 years (inter quartile range 24-51 years). Comparing baseline and three months after receiving rehabiliation services, there were significatnly deference in overall maximum scores of objective measurement on the quality of life among the new adults with lower limb amputations ((P-value 0.001) and significantly deference in the overall maximum scores of subjective measurement on the quality of life among the new adults with lower limb amputation (P-value 0.001). Absence of residual stump pain having less time (6 months) since amputation before receiving proper rehabilitation services and receiving the support of relatives or friends before receiving rehabilitation services, were significantly associated with an increased score of quality of life.
Conclusion(s): Rehabilitation was shown to improve quality of life for people with lower limb amputations. Both phantom limb pain and residual stump pain may require additional intervention and those with lower limb amputations who have no support from relatives or friends may require additional help to improve quality of life.
Implications: Rehabilitation services should be provided as soon after amputation as possible to increase its effectiveness on improving quality of life, particularly residual stump pain. Social support like relatives or friends should be available at the physical rehabilitation center. A longer-term follow up study should be conducted to see the changing overtime of the quality of life of lower limb amputations after receiving rehabilitation services.
Keywords: Amputation, Rehabilitation, Quality of Life
Funding acknowledgements: Australian Aid, Kirby Institute, Australia and National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD (NCHADS), VIC, ICRC, EXCEED and HI
Purpose: This study aimed to examine predictors of quality of life improvement in people with lower limb amputations after receiving rehabilitation services (physiotherapy and prosthetic) in Cambodia.
Methods: People with lower limb amputations from seven physical rehabilitation centers in Cambodia were interviewed using the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale Adult questionnaire (composed of objective and subjective score) at the first day of registration and three months after discharge. A paired t-test examined the difference between the quality of life scores and Linear regression was used to identify factors potentially associated with changes in quality of life.
Results: 164 people were recruited, 125 combined baseline and follow up in this study. Approximately one quarter of these participants were female and the median age was 38 years (inter quartile range 24-51 years). Comparing baseline and three months after receiving rehabiliation services, there were significatnly deference in overall maximum scores of objective measurement on the quality of life among the new adults with lower limb amputations ((P-value 0.001) and significantly deference in the overall maximum scores of subjective measurement on the quality of life among the new adults with lower limb amputation (P-value 0.001). Absence of residual stump pain having less time (6 months) since amputation before receiving proper rehabilitation services and receiving the support of relatives or friends before receiving rehabilitation services, were significantly associated with an increased score of quality of life.
Conclusion(s): Rehabilitation was shown to improve quality of life for people with lower limb amputations. Both phantom limb pain and residual stump pain may require additional intervention and those with lower limb amputations who have no support from relatives or friends may require additional help to improve quality of life.
Implications: Rehabilitation services should be provided as soon after amputation as possible to increase its effectiveness on improving quality of life, particularly residual stump pain. Social support like relatives or friends should be available at the physical rehabilitation center. A longer-term follow up study should be conducted to see the changing overtime of the quality of life of lower limb amputations after receiving rehabilitation services.
Keywords: Amputation, Rehabilitation, Quality of Life
Funding acknowledgements: Australian Aid, Kirby Institute, Australia and National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD (NCHADS), VIC, ICRC, EXCEED and HI
Topic: Disability & rehabilitation; Orthopaedics; Outcome measurement
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Ministry of Health
Ethics committee: National Ethics Committee for Human Reseach
Ethics number: 0097 NECHR
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
