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Quality of life and its determinants among community re-integrated soldiers with permanent disabilities following traumatic limb injuries

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess health-related-quality of life (HRQOL) after the end of war and its associated factors among soldiers with permanent limb disabilities in Sri Lanka

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 rehabilitated and socially re-integrated Army soldiers having permanent disability following traumatic limb injuries during the last year of ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka. Females, soldiers with no updated data, and soldiers having permanent deafness/total blindness/total brain or spinal cord injury were excluded. The sample was randomly selected from updated ‘Disabled Category Registries’. Personal and injury data were collected through postal questionnaire. HRQOL was assessed using SF-36 tool validated for Sri Lankan soldiers.

Results

SF-36 scores obtained on HRQOL related to overall physical health (mean = 57.1; SD = 19) and mental health (mean = 58.8; SD = 17.2) were comparable. HRQOL was best in social functioning (mean = 73.4; SD = 24) and worst in vitality (mean = 48.4; SD = 15.5). Factors significantly associated with better HRQOL related to the overall physical and mental health were aged over 35 years, being married, being assigned duties, having only upper/lower limbs affected and absence of co-disability. Having duties assigned demonstrated better QOL in almost all domains. None were associated with income or education.

Conclusions

Physical and mental health components contribute equally to the HRQOL of rehabilitated soldiers with permanent limb disabilty. Their poorer HRQOL was determined by certain person- and injury-related factors. These need to be addressed during re-integration and post-rehabilitation services.

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Data Availability

The manuscript contain all data supporting the findings of this study , including the interviewer-administered questionnaire given as a supplementary file. Additional information on the study will be shared by the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

DALY:

Disability-adjusted life years

HRQOL:

Health-related quality of life

SF-36:

Short Form 36

PF:

Physical functioning

RLPH:

Role limitations due to physical health

BP:

Bodily pain

GH:

General health

RLEP:

Role limitations due to emotional problems

SF:

Social functioning

VT:

Vitality

EW:

Emotional well-being

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the study participants and the Director Rehabilitation of Army and other related authorities for their support on identifying the sample from registries.

Funding

Self-funded.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Youth, Elderly and Disabled Persons Unit, Ministry of Health, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Samitha Samanmalee Gowinnage

  2. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo, 00800, Sri Lanka

    Carukshi Arambepola

Authors
  1. Samitha Samanmalee Gowinnage
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  2. Carukshi Arambepola
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Correspondence to Carukshi Arambepola.

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The authors report no declarations of interest.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Prior to data collection, ethics clearance was obtained from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, which is a member of the forum of ethics review committees of Sri Lanka (FERCSL). This ethics approval was submitted to the Directorate of Rehabilitation Sri Lanka Army, upon which permission and ethics approval were granted to conduct the study. As it was a postal questionnaire, implied consent was obtained upon return of the completed questionnaire, and therefore, participation was voluntary. The consent was given to the inclusion of material pertaining to themselves and that they acknowledge that they cannot be identified via the paper and being fully anonymous.

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Gowinnage, S.S., Arambepola, C. Quality of life and its determinants among community re-integrated soldiers with permanent disabilities following traumatic limb injuries. Qual Life Res 29, 2119–2127 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02473-x

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