The Perceived Handicap Questionnaire : A Self Perceived
Handicap Measurement in Patients with Spinal Cord
Injury
VILAI KUPTNIRAT SAIKUL, M.D.*,
ORAW AN SMERASUTA, BN.S.**,
POUNGTONG KLOMJAIYEN, BN.S. **
Affiliation : * Department of Rehabilitation Medicine,
**Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
AbstractHandicap exists when individuals with impairment or disability are unable to fulfill one or
more of the roles that are considered normal for their age, gender, and culture. In fact, handicap is
one of the most poorly measured of all rehabilitation outcomes. This study was performed to mea
sure the subjective experience of handicap in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients who had permanent
disabilities and were often faced with environmental barriers. Eighty-three new traumatic SCI patients
with a mean age of 33 years were interviewed during follow-up outpatient clinic visits using the
Perceived Handicap Questionnaire (PHQ). This test provides a global measurement of the extent of
self-perceived handicap across five dimensions based on the WHO's classification of handicap. When
compared with normal persons, SCI subjects perceived themselves as more handicapped in all dimen
sions especially mobility and physical independence. In contrast, the majority of SCI subjects per
ceived themselves as less handicapped than others with SCI in physical independence, and equally
handicapped in social integration and in economic self-sufficiency. In addition, the Barthel Index
Score of self-care activities was negatively correlated with the PHQ score, but the depression score
and hospitalization period were positively correlated with the PHQ score. Rehabilitation professionals
should pay attention to the measurement of societal functioning or handicap in addition to disability.
Keywords : Handicap, Spinal Cord Injury, Disability
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