Factors influencing acceptance of disability in individuals with spinal cord injury in Neiva, Colombia, South America

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine the level of acceptance of disability as measured by the Acceptance of Disability Scale (ADS) within a sample of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) from Neiva, Colombia and to examine the influence of sociodemographic variables, injury characteristics, and level of depression on ADS score. Methods: The ADS was administered to 40 adults with SCI from Nieva, Colombia who were recruited from an organization that connects individuals with disabilities to resources. Most (92.5%) participants were men, with a mean age of 34.75 years and approximately 12 years since injury. Fifty-five percent of subjects were diagnosed with paraplegia and the remainder with tetraplegia. Descriptive, linear model and multiple regression analyses were used to describe the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Results: The mean total ADS score of this sample was 171.5, indicating overall low disability acceptance. After controlling for level of depression and time since injury, gender was significantly related to ADS score such that women reported higher acceptance of disability. After controlling for gender and time since injury, level of depression was significantly related to ADS score. Conclusion: Acceptance of disability is a serious problem in this group of SCI survivors in Neiva, Colombia, especially among women and individuals with higher levels of depression. Because acceptance of disability is likely a problem for many individuals living with disability in the developing world, future researchers should investigate what interventions (e.g. counseling, pharmacological intervention, social service programs) can be implemented to improve acceptance of disability in this population.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling condition with high prevalence rates in developing countries where treatment and rehabilitative resources are scarce.

• In this group of individuals with SCI from Neiva, Colombia, women and persons with lower levels of depression reported higher acceptance of disability than males and more depressed individuals. The sample as a whole reported substantially lower acceptance of disability on the ADS than previous samples of individuals with SCI from the US.

• Relatively poorer acceptance of disability scores among this group of Colombians with SCI underscores the need for more comprehensive rehabilitative resources in Colombia, especially among men and depressed individuals.

Keywords::

• Acceptance
• spinal cord injury
• South America

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.