Body image, physical activity, quality of life, and community reintegration of individuals with acquired mobility disability in a Nigerian population

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the quality of life (QOL), physical activity (PA), community reintegration (CR), and body image (BI) among adults with acquired mobility disabilities. Relationships between the constructs were also assessed in order to ascertain how a change in one construct could influence the other.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional survey involved 157 adults (mean age = 47.51 ± 21.08 years) consecutively recruited from conveniently selected centers in South-east Nigeria. The Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey, the Multidimensional Body Self Relations, the Reintegration to Normal Living Index, and the Short-Form 7-Day International Physical Activity questionnaires were used to assess participants’ QOL, BI, CR, and PA respectively. Participants’ scores and socio-demographic information were summarised using descriptive statistics while the Spearman test analysed the relationships between constructs.

Results

Participants’ mean QOL (43.23 ± 13.07), CR (48.09 ± 22.84), and BI (2.91 ± 0.51) scores were poor while their mean PA score (4.39 ± 4.56 × 10³ MET-min/week) was high. PA had significant positive relationships with CR (rho = 0.25; p < 0.01) and QOL (rho = 0.33; p < 0.01). BI had a significant positive relationship with CR (rho = 0.28; p = 0.01).

Conclusions

PA was high for this sample of individuals with mobility disability receiving physiotherapy but QOL, CR, and BI were poor. Based on observed correlations, rehabilitation interventions for enhancing PA may help improve QOL and CR.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Mobility disabilities are very common and burdensome in Nigeria and other African countries.

• Quality of life, physical activity, community reintegration, and body image can be adversely affected among individuals with mobility disabilities.

• Understanding relationships between these constructs among individuals with mobility disabilities could help in enhancing rehabilitation planning and outcomes.

• Physical activity relates to both community reintegration and life quality, whereas body image relates to community integration.

Keywords:

• Body satisfaction
• community participation
• physical exertion
• well-being
• mobility impairment

Ethical approval

The Ethics Committee of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi gave approval prior to the commencement of the study (Approval number: NAUTH/CS/66/VOL.9/84).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data can be made available when the corresponding author is contacted.