Observational Survey Research Regarding People with Disabilities Receiving Home Care Services

Abstract

China is confronted with a substantial population of individuals with disabilities, warranting heightened attention to their health and the fulfillment of their care requisites, making it a prevailing public health concern. To address this matter comprehensively, we conducted a cross-sectional study in Yancheng, China, spanning from January to June 2023. The primary objectives were to elucidate the fundamental characteristics and health status of individuals with disabilities availing themselves of the government's home-based care service program and to conduct a comparative analysis between urban and rural areas. Our study findings unveiled significant disparities in the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) scores between individuals with disabilities in rural and urban areas (p=0.021). Notably, individuals with disabilities residing in rural regions demonstrated considerably lower MBI scores in comparison to their urban counterparts. Moreover, the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) scores for individuals with disabilities in rural areas exhibited a remarkable increase when compared to those in urban areas (p<0.001). This discrepancy indicates a higher burden of mental health challenges experienced by individuals with disabilities in rural settings, underscoring the relative neglect of mental health needs in the care provision for this population. Given the diverse care needs of individuals with disabilities, it is evident that mental health requirements merit greater attention. Hence, there is an exigent demand to enhance the accuracy in discerning the specific care necessities of individuals with disabilities and to devise refined and tailored care plans, which can be further adapted based on the unique contexts prevailing in distinct urban and rural areas.