Disability and its prevalence and cause in northwestern Ethiopia: evidence from Dabat district of Amhara National Regional State: A community based cross-sectional study

Abstract

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.