Experience of a person with lower limb amputation in performing activities of daily living by using assistive technology

Abstract

Background: The loss of a body part can cause physical, psychological and social disturbances. The majority of previous studies in this area focus on the impact of amputation or the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes. This is the first study in Bangladesh exploring the experiences of persons with amputation in daily living activities (self care, productivity and leisure) by using assistive technology. Purpose: To provide an understanding of the everyday experiences of individuals with a limb amputation. Methods: A qualitative study design was used. Eight participants 2 female, 6 male with lower limb amputation were included for this study. The investigator was selected face to face interviewing method for data collection with self-structured questions. The researcher listened to the interviews several times from the phone recorder and then the interviewed data was transcript in Bangla. Then five copies were made from the transcript and were given to five people for translation from Bangla to English. Then the data was being analyzed by thematic. Results: Four themes were identified in self-care, productivity, and leisure activities and the embodied experience after amputation. The result of this study show that most of the participants face problems in participating in their daily living activities by using assisstive technology. Participation restriction was most commonly experienced in self care, leisure activity and productivity. For daily activities and functioning, the most common difficulties were with standing for long periods, walking long distances, using the low commode, manaiging stall, walking out in rainy days, carrying weight more than 10kg, cooking in lower place, bathing. Conclusions: These themes provide a key resource for understanding daily fluctuations in self-care, productivity, and leisure activity. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of environmental barriers and challenges, activity limitations and participation restrictions of people with lower limb amputation. Keywords: Background: The loss of a body part can cause physical, psychological and social disturbances. The majority of previous studies in this area focus on the impact of amputation or the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes. This is the first study in Bangladesh exploring the experiences of persons with amputation in daily living activities (self care, productivity and leisure) by using assistive technology. Purpose: To provide an understanding of the everyday experiences of individuals with a limb amputation. Methods: A qualitative study design was used. Eight participants 2 female, 6 male with lower limb amputation were included for this study. The investigator was selected face to face interviewing method for data collection with self-structured questions. The researcher listened to the interviews several times from the phone recorder and then the interviewed data was transcript in Bangla. Then five copies were made from the transcript and were given to five people for translation from Bangla to English. Then the data was being analyzed by thematic. Results: Four themes were identified in self-care, productivity, and leisure activities and the embodied experience after amputation. The result of this study show that most of the participants face problems in participating in their daily living activities by using assisstive technology. Participation restriction was most commonly experienced in self care, leisure activity and productivity. For daily activities and functioning, the most common difficulties were with standing for long periods, walking long distances, using the low commode, manaiging stall, walking out in rainy days, carrying weight more than 10kg, cooking in lower place, bathing. Conclusions: These themes provide a key resource for understanding daily fluctuations in self-care, productivity, and leisure activity. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of environmental barriers and challenges, activity limitations and participation restrictions of people with lower limb amputation. Keywords: Amputation, Assistive Technology, Activities of daily living Abstract Abstractt