 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Demetra John, MS, PT, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1919 W. Taylor St, 4th floor, MC 898, Chicago, IL 60618, 312/996-1505, demetra@uic.edu
Objective: Explore perceptions of health and exercise in adults with physical disabilities. Subjects: Interviews were conducted with 23 adults recruited from a Chicago Center from Independent Living. All participants self-reported having a physical disability. Methods: Semi-structured interviews explored ratings and perceptions of health, physical activity levels, knowledge of risks for secondary conditions, and access to primary health care. Perceptions of health were assessed using a self-reported scale. Open-ended questions were used to explore the other topics. Results: Health rating levels were as follows: 9% at poor, 43% at fair, 9% at fair to good, 26 % at good, 4% at very good, and 9% at excellent. All participants who rated themselves at good or below stated that disability and lower functional activity levels lead to a lower rating of health. Three participants with higher health ratings stated they were able to rate health without consideration to their disabilities. No participants performed regular physical activity outside of self-care routines. Most complained of time and energy spent on self-care activities. All participants expressed adequate access to health care and positive relationships with physicians. None recalled receiving exercise advice from physicians. No participants were aware of increased risk for cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, or osteoporosis due to decreased activity levels. All persons using wheelchairs were aware of increased risk for pressure sores, and engaged in pressure relief activities. Conclusions: These results may be useful in the design of exercise interventions for adults with physical disabilities.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Disability, Patient Perspective
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.