"Life is at a standstill" Quality of life after lower extremity trauma in Malawi.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Low- and middle-income countries face a disproportionate burden of death and disability from injuries, many of which are due to road traffic accidents or falls. Lower extremity injuries in particular have implications not only for physical disabilities affecting work and school performance, but also for quality of life (QOL) of the individual. This qualitative study explores the psychosocial impact and QOL changes due to lower extremity injuries among trauma patients in central Malawi.

Methods

We transcribed and translated interviews with 20 patients who received care for a trauma to the lower extremity at a tertiary hospital in Lilongwe. We used NVivo to organize and thematically analyze the data.

Results

Participants reported limitations in physical function

SUBMITTER: Kohler RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5513889 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature