Prevalence of Physical Disability among Urban Community-dwelling Adults in Sri Lanka

Inoka E Weerasinghe; Pushpa Fonseka; S D Dharmaratne; J A M S Jayatilake

doi:10.5463/dcid.v26i2.412

Inoka E Weerasinghe ⁽¹⁾, Pushpa Fonseka ⁽²⁾, S D Dharmaratne ⁽³⁾, J A M S Jayatilake ⁽⁴⁾

(1) Community Medicine, Ministry of Health, LK; Johns Hopkins Centre for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 624, N. Broadway, Baltimore MD, 21205, United States,

(2) Department of Community Medicine, University of Ruhuna and Sri Jayawardanapura, Sri Lanka,

(3) Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka,

(4) Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, LK; University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore, United States

https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v26i2.412

Issue
Vol. 26 No. 2 (2015): Summer 2015

Submitted
September 14, 2020

Published
July 22, 2015

Keywords:

Impairment, activity limitation, participation restriction, disability measurement

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Abstract

Purpose: Assessment of physical disability at the community level is essential for rehabilitation and supply of services. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of physical disability among adults in an urban community in Sri Lanka.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 2460 adults (18-59 years of age) who were selected using cluster sampling. Physical disability was measured using a Physical Impairment Examination Tool (PIET) and World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II).

Results: Prevalence of physical disability was 4.2% (95% CI= 3.5-5.1). Physical disability was higher among people in the age group of 40-59 years (6.5%, n=64) than among those in the age group of 18-39 years (2.6%, n=39) (P<0.05). Physical disability was more prevalent among females (4.4%, 95% CI= 4.2-4.6) than males (2.6%, 95% CI: 2.4-2.8), and among Tamils (7.8%, 95% CI=5.1%- 10.5%) than Sinhalese (3.3%, 95% CI=2.4%- 4.1%). It was higher among those who were divorced/widowed (58.3%, 95% CI=30.4- 86.2) than among married people (3.6%, 95% CI=2.8- 4.4). The prevalence of physical disability was 7.1% (95% CI=4.6- 9.5) among people with primary education, 4.5% (95% CI=3.4- 5.6) among those with secondary education, and 1.8% (95% CI=0.8- 2.8) among those with tertiary education. It was higher among the unemployed (7.2%, 95% CI=5.7-8.7) than the employed (1.8%, 95% CI=1.1-2.5). Age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education levels and employment status were significantly associated with physical disability.

Conclusions: Though the prevalence of physical disability appears to be higher among Sri Lankan adults than among people in developed countries, it is less than among people in other South-East Asian countries. Associations with socio-demographic variables were consistent with other studies.

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Authors

Inoka E Weerasinghe

Community Medicine, Ministry of Health, LK; Johns Hopkins Centre for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 624, N. Broadway, Baltimore MD, 21205

eranganie@yahoo.com (Primary Contact)

Pushpa Fonseka

Department of Community Medicine, University of Ruhuna and Sri Jayawardanapura

S D Dharmaratne

Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya

J A M S Jayatilake

Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, LK; University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore

Author Biographies

Inoka E Weerasinghe, Community Medicine, Ministry of Health, LK; Johns Hopkins Centre for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 624, N. Broadway, Baltimore MD, 21205

Inoka E. Weerasinghe (MBBS, MSc, MD, Diploma in Applied Statistics) is Senior Registrar, Community Medicine at Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka. He is also a Visiting Scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

Pushpa Fonseka, Department of Community Medicine, University of Ruhuna and Sri Jayawardanapura

Former Professor, Department of Community Medicine, University of Ruhuna and Sri Jayawardanapura, Sri Lanka

S D Dharmaratne, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya

S Dharmaratne (MBBS, MSc, MD) is an Associate Professor and Consultant Community Physician of Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, USA.

J A M S Jayatilake, Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, LK; University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore

Jayatilake (BDS, PhD) is a Senior Lecturer at Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and is a Visiting Scientist in University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore, USA.

1.

Weerasinghe IE, Fonseka P, Dharmaratne SD, Jayatilake JAMS. Prevalence of Physical Disability among Urban Community-dwelling Adults in Sri Lanka. DCIDJ [Internet]. 2015 Jul. 22 [cited 2025 Feb. 23];26(2):65-91. Available from: https://dcidj.uog.edu.et/index.php/up-j-dcbrid/article/view/187

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