A qualidade de vida de pessoas com deficiência física na cidade de Patos de Minas - MG

Abstract

We know that several aspects of disabled people’s social life such as recreation, transportation, income, and especially physical activity can promote better life quality through its physical, social and emotional benefits. Therefore, the objective of this study was assessing the perception that people with disabilities have about their life quality in the city of Patos de Minas - MG. The study included 100 people with physical disabilities, 45% female and 55% male, whose average age is 42.06 years old (+13.80), randomly selected from a survey of all people with disabilities in ADEFIPAM - Association for the Physically Disabled of Patos de Minas. The sample was assessed using a general information and socio-demographic questionnaire, covering aspects such as physical activity, participation in leisure activities, education, income, type of disability, transport and housing. A sample was applied to assess life quality perception through the WHOQOL – a brief questionnaire containing 26 questions, of which 24 are distributed in four domains: physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. The results showed higher values and consequently higher life quality level in the psychological (75.78) and social (75.08) and lower values in the physical (65.40) and environment (62.51). Concerning income, people with higher income had better quality of life with a statistically significant difference p ≤ 0.005 in physical (72.96 ± 17.11) and environment domains (72.94 ± 12.91). As for participation in leisure activities individuals who participate in these activities had higher scores, with statistically significant differences in all domains. When compared the physically active individuals (20%) to non-practitioners (80%), we found higher levels of life quality in physically active individuals compared with sedentary ones in the physical, psychological and social domains, with a statistically significant difference p ≤ 0.005 only to the physical (72.85 ± 10.71). It was concluded that people with disabilities in the city of Patos de Minas-MG have a better perception of life quality in the psychological and social domains and those who do some physical activity have better perception of life quality in the physical domain, demonstrating the need to review policies to provide physical activities for this population as well as improving accessibility to such participation.