Quality of Life of Nigerians with Unilateral Lower Limb Amputation
Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine the QoL of Nigerians with lower limb amputation and to investigate the influence of some clinical and socio-demographic variables on it.
Method: Forty-seven individuals with lower limb amputation participated in this study. Participants’ age, gender, marital status, occupation, time since amputation, level of amputation, affected limb and use of prosthesis were recorded. Quality of life was then measured using the WHO QOL-BREF. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test at 0.05 alpha levels.
Results: Participants’ overall health and QoL scores were 3.6(SD 0.9) and 3.9(SD 0.7) respectively. Male subjects had significantly higher scores than females in the domains of physical health (p = 0.007), social relationships (p = 0.024) and overall health (p = 0.012). Prosthesis-wearing subjects scored significantly higher in the domains of physical health (p = 0.015), psychological health (p = 0.008) and environment (p = 0.011) and overall health (0.033), than those not wearing prosthesis. Level of amputation, leg dominance and pre-amputation occupational category had no significant influence on participants’ QoL.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the QoL of individuals with lower limb amputation in Nigeria is moderate. The only factors which have significant influence on some QoL domains are gender and use of prosthesis.
Implications: Individuals with lower limb amputation, particularly females and those not wearing prosthesis, require special attention. Clinicians should identify barriers to the use of prosthesis so as to enhance their quality of life.
Keywords
Authors
How to Cite
Download Citation
License
Copyright © 2013 The Author(s)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License By-NC-ND 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access ).
Similar Articles
- Jinat Ara Shorna, Sudipto Kumar Ratul, Snigdha Misra, Wan Ying Gan, Adi S, Donny Wira Yudha Kusuma, Mohammad Abul Bashar, Mahenderan Appukutty, Pattern of Sedentary Activity among Persons with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 37 No. 2 (2026): Summer Issue
- Lizzette Gómez-de-Regil, Development and Initial Implementation of an Online Program for Caregivers of Children with Feeding and Swallowing Disorders: A Five-Stage Model , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 37 No. 3 (2026): Autumn Issue
- Henry Abuaku Howard, Anastasia Baisiwa Rhule, Socioeconomic Factors Hindering Access to Healthcare by Persons with Disabilities in the Ahanta West Municipality, Ghana , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 32 No. 2 (2021): Summer
- Ritu Singh, Geeta Chopra, Evolution from Negative Identity to affirmation of ‘Disability Identity’: Life story of a Woman with Spina Bifida in India , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 32 No. 1 (2021): Spring
- Gulgoona Jamal, Stereotypes about Adults with Learning Disabilities: Are Professionals a Cut Above the Rest? , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 30 No. 2 (2019): Summer 2019
- Ruth M H Peters, Miranda E Hofker, Wim H van Brakel, Marjolein B M Zweekhorst, Francisia S S E Seda, Irwanto Irwanto, Joske F G Bunders, Narratives Around Concealment and Agency for Stigma-reduction: A study of Women affected by Leprosy in Cirebon District, Indonesia , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 25 No. 4 (2014): Winter 2014
- Inge Debrouwere, Jo Lebeer, Peter Prinzie, The Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in Primary Care: Findings of Exploratory Implementation Throughout Life , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 27 No. 2 (2016): Summer 2016
- Jessica O'Dowd, Hasheem Mannan, Joanne McVeigh, India’s Disability Policy – Analysis of Core Concepts of Human Rights , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 24 No. 4 (2013): Winter 2013
- Masateru Higashida, M R Shantha Kumara, Yuko Nakashima, Educational Opportunity, Post-School Life and CBR: A Multisectoral Approach in Rural Sri Lanka , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 27 No. 1 (2016): Spring 2016
- Tagore Govindarajan, Assistive Devices for Persons with Visual Impairment and Low Vision: Preferences and Expectations of Users in the Southern States of India , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 33 No. 1: (Spring) - 2022
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Christopher Olusanjo Akosile, Christian Arinze Okonkwo, Fatai Adesina Maruf, Emmanuel Chiebuka Okoye, Life Accomplishment, Social Functioning and Participation of South-Eastern Nigerians with Lower Limb Amputation , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 31 No. 2 (2020): Summer 2020