Background: Disability is the social outcome of unfavorable interactions between individuals’ impairments, on the one hand, and inaccessible physical spaces, disenabling cultural environment and negative attitudes towards disability and persons with disabilities, on the other. Despite the fact that it directly affects 15% of Ethiopians as well as families and communities, policy-relevant studies on disability and the conditions of persons with disabilities are lacking. The Dabat Demographic Health Surveillance System (DHSS) was established to collect vital statistics in Dabat district, Amhara region. But it did not collect data on disability types, causes and community responses. With this drawback in DHSS, this study aimed at assessing the prevalence, types and major causes of severe disability in Dabat district. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed and covered 17,000 households residing in 13 Kebeles of Dabat district. The study was conducted in 2018 utilizing the modified 12-item World Health Organization’s Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) and 7-item WHO Minimal Generic Set of Domains of Functioning and Health to collect data on disability in the district. The data were organized and presented as frequencies and percentages in table and figures. Relevant variables were used to construct a logit model that predicts the likelihood of disability whereby P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: This study found that the overall prevalence of disability in Dabat district was 2.14% [95% CI: 2.03, 2.24]. About 8.3% of households reported at least one member with disability. Visual impairment was the most commonly reported impairment (51%) while 8.19% had multiple impairments. Eighty-three percent of immediate the causes of disability were modifiable – specifically, illness (36.93%), injury (17.81%), and congenital (10.86%). The aged [AOR=1.0; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.04], those unable to read or write illiterate [AOR=1.57; 1.15, 2.14], the unmarried/single [AOR=1.39; 95% CI: 185,2.47] and the separated [AOR=2.78; 95% CI: 4.14,6.19] were more likely to risk disability in the population.Conclusion: This study reported an increased likelihood of impairment among those with advanced ages. The proportion of households with PwDs was also high. While most disabilities were visual, there were significant numbers with mobility impairments and hard of hearing. Most school-age PwDs did not complete secondary education, while employment was significantly limited. The findings indicated that most causes of disability were reversible if impairments were screened or identified early and preventive or medical treatments were sought. Without undermining the role of specialized medical treatments, this study underlines the significance of early screening and preventive community interventions through CBR programs and rehabilitation workers in lowering disability rates in the district.

Background Disability is not just a factor of an individual’s physical condition; it develops through human interactions and reflects the social fabric of communities. Despite the fact that it directly affects 15% of Ethiopians, understanding and policy-relevant studies on disability and the conditions of persons with disabilities are lacking. The Dabat Demographic and Health Surveillance System part of the response to fill this gap. With significant drawbacks in the Surveillance System, this study aimed at assessing the prevalence, types and major causes of disability in Dabat district.Method A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed and covered 17,000 households residing in 13 Kebeles of Dabat district. The district is where DHSS collects health data semi-annually; but this study was designed and executed separately in 2018 utilizing robust tools (World Health Organization’s Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) used to collect comprehensive data on disability in the district. The data was organized and presented using frequencies and percentages in table and figures. Relevant variables were used to construct a logit model that predicts the likelihood of disability whereby P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results This study found that the overall prevalence of disability in Dabat district was 2.14% [95% CI: 2.03, 2.24]. About 8.3% of households reported at least one member with disability. Visual impairment was the most commonly reported impairment d51%) while 8.19% had multiple impairments. Eighty-three percent of immediate the causes of disability were modifiable – specifically, illness (36.93%), injury (17.81%), and congenital (10.86%). The aged [AOR=1.0; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.04], those unable to read or write illiterate [AOR=1.57; 1.15,2.14], the unmarried/single [AOR=1.39; 95% CI: 185,2.47] and the separated [AOR=2.78; 95% CI: 4.14,6.19] were more likely to risk disability in the population.Conclusion This study reported an increased likelihood of impairment among those with advanced ages. The proportion of households with PwDs was also high. While most disabilities were visual, there were significant numbers with mobility impairments and hard of hearing. Most school-age PwDs did not complete secondary education, while employment was significantly limited. The findings indicated that most causes of disability were reversible.

Background: Disability is the social outcome of unfavorable interactions between individuals’ impairments, on the one hand, and inaccessible physical spaces, disenabling cultural environment and negative attitudes towards disability and persons with disabilities, on the other. Despite the fact that it directly affects 15% of Ethiopians, understanding and policy-relevant studies on disability and the conditions of persons with disabilities are lacking. The Dabat Demographic Health Surveillance System is part of the response to fill this gap. With significant drawbacks in the Surveillance System, this study aimed at assessing the prevalence, types and major causes of disability in Dabat district. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed and covered 17,000 households residing in 13 Kebeles of Dabat district. The study was conducted in 2018 utilizing the modified 12-item World Health Organization’s Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) and 7-item WHO Minimal Generic Set of Domains of Functioning and Health to collect pertinent data on disability in the district. The data was organized and presented using frequencies and percentages in table and figures. Relevant variables were used to construct a logit model that predicts the likelihood of disability whereby P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: This study found that the overall prevalence of disability in Dabat district was 2.14% [95% CI: 2.03, 2.24]. About 8.3% of households reported at least one member with disability. Visual impairment was the most commonly reported impairment (51%) while 8.19% had multiple impairments. Eighty-three percent of immediate the causes of disability were modifiable – specifically, illness (36.93%), injury (17.81%), and congenital (10.86%). The aged [AOR=1.0; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.04], those unable to read or write illiterate [AOR=1.57; 1.15, 2.14], the unmarried/single [AOR=1.39; 95% CI: 185,2.47] and the separated [AOR=2.78; 95% CI: 4.14,6.19] were more likely to risk disability in the population.Conclusion: This study reported an increased likelihood of impairment among those with advanced ages. The proportion of households with PwDs was also high. While most disabilities were visual, there were significant numbers with mobility impairments and hard of hearing. Most school-age PwDs did not complete secondary education, while employment was significantly limited. The findings indicated that most causes of disability were reversible if impairments were screened or identified early and preventive or medical treatments were sought. Without undermining the role of specialized medical treatments, this study underlines the significance of early screening and preventive community interventions through CBR programs and rehabilitation workers in lowering disability rates in the district.

Background: Disability is not just a physical condition; it develops through human interactions and reflects the social fabric of communities. Despite the magnitude of the problem, however, both awareness and scientific information on disability and the conditions of persons with disabilities (PwDs) are lacking in Ethiopia. Against this backdrop, the University of Gondar established the Dabat Demographic Health Surveillance System to gather longitudinal and policy relevant empirical data on various aspects of healthy living, including disability, in Dabat district of northwestern Ethiopia. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 13 Kebeles of Dabat district where the DHSS operates. Quantitative data was gathered using the World Health Organization’s Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) and International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability (ICF). The data was organized, analyzed, presented and described using frequencies and percentages in table and figures. Relevant variables were used to construct a logistic regression model that predicts the likelihood of disability whereby P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The household survey covered 17,000 households with 71,916 members amongst whom 36,462 (50.7%) were females and 20,264 (28.18%) had attended formal education. The overall prevalence of disability was 2.14% [95% CI: 2.03, 2.24]. About 8.3% of households reported at least one case of disability. Of 1537 respondents with disability, 8.19% had multiple disabilities. The visually impaired represented the highest proportion of PwDs (51%). Generally, the major causes of disability (83%) were modifiable; and illness (36.93%), injury (17.81%), and congenital (10.86%). Advanced age [AOR= 1.0; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.04], the illiterate [AOR=1.15;95% CI: 1.57, 2.13], the unmarried/single [AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 185,2.47] and the separated [AOR: 2.78; 95% CI: 4.14,6.19] were more likely to have disability in the study population. Conclusion: This article reports an increased likelihood in being impaired/disabled associated with aging; and in the study population, there was high proportion of households with PwDs. Most disabilities were visual but there were also significant numbers of mobility and hearing impairments. Most school-age PwDs did not complete secondary education, while the rate of employment was significantly low. The study also identified most causes of disability were reversable.

Background Disability is not just a factor of an individual’s physical condition; it develops through human interactions and reflects the social fabric of communities. Despite the fact that it directly affects 15% of Ethiopians, understanding and policy-relevant studies on disability and the conditions of persons with disabilities are lacking. The Dabat Demographic and Health Surveillance System part of the response to fill this gap. With significant drawbacks in the Surveillance System, this study aimed at assessing the prevalence, types and major causes of disability in Dabat district.Method A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed and covered 17,000 households residing in 13 Kebeles of Dabat district. The district is where DHSS collects health data semi-annually; but this study was designed and executed separately in 2018 utilizing robust tools (World Health Organization’s Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) used to collect comprehensive data on disability in the district. The data was organized and presented using frequencies and percentages in table and figures. Relevant variables were used to construct a logit model that predicts the likelihood of disability whereby P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results This study found that the overall prevalence of disability in Dabat district was 2.14% [95% CI: 2.03, 2.24]. About 8.3% of households reported at least one member with disability. Visual impairment was the most commonly reported impairment d51%) while 8.19% had multiple impairments. Eighty-three percent of immediate the causes of disability were modifiable – specifically, illness (36.93%), injury (17.81%), and congenital (10.86%). The aged [AOR=1.0; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.04], those unable to read or write illiterate [AOR=1.57; 1.15,2.14], the unmarried/single [AOR=1.39; 95% CI: 185,2.47] and the separated [AOR=2.78; 95% CI: 4.14,6.19] were more likely to risk disability in the population.Conclusion This study reported an increased likelihood of impairment among those with advanced ages. The proportion of households with PwDs was also high. While most disabilities were visual, there were significant numbers with mobility impairments and hard of hearing. Most school-age PwDs did not complete secondary education, while employment was significantly limited. The findings indicated that most causes of disability were reversible.