Quality Of Life Of Individuals Suffering From Spinal Cord Injury In Namibia

ABSTRACT

Literature has found that paraplegic as well as quadriplegic individuals are presented with a range of challenges, which are similar as well as frequent amongst them. These include stigmatisation, discrimination, problems related to family, work and independence. Health problems such as bowel and bladder control, infections and pressure sores, as well as related psychological problems are also common (Lustig, 2005). Paralysis impacts on all areas of an individual’s life, because it has physical, psychological, social, and environmental effects. Thus, it impacts on the individual’s overall well-being, their level of satisfaction with life, as well as their perception of the quality of their life. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the themes that represent quality of life and the meaning of quality of life, as defined by adults with paraplegia or quadriplegia. Purposive sampling was employed and seven people (3 females, 4 males; 3 persons with quadriplegia, 4 with paraplegia) participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews, which present the participants with maximum opportunity to convey their perceptions, were utilised for data collection. The semistructured interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed through interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). IPA is prescribed as the most effective way of analysing qualitative data within exploratory psychological studies.