Open AccessThe impact of lower limb amputation on community reintegration of a population in Johannesburg: A Qualitative perspective
Author(s) -
L. Godlwana,
Aimée Stewart
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
south african journal of physiotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.166
H-Index - 3
eISSN - 2410-8219
pISSN - 0379-6175
DOI - 10.4102/sajp.v69i4.379
Subject(s) - amputation , psychosocial , qualitative research , perception , population , psychology , perspective (graphical) , rehabilitation , faith , qualitative property , medicine , social psychology , physical therapy , sociology , psychotherapist , psychiatry , social science , philosophy , theology , environmental health , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science , machine learning
Aim: To explore the experiences and perceptions of people with lower limb amputations from the Johannesburg metropolitan area on the impact that their amputations had on their lives and their return to their communities. Methods: Semi-structured audio-taped in-depth interviews were used to collect data on 12 purposively selected participants. Ethical clearance was obtained. A General Inductive Approach was used to generate or discover themes within the data using a process of systematic coding. Results: Emerging from the qualitative data were psychological, social and religious themes. Suicidal thoughts, dependence, poor acceptance, public perception about body image, phantom limb related falls and hopes of obtaining prostheses were reported. Some reported poor social involvement due to mobility problems and employment concerns, while families and friends were found to be supportive. Participants had faith in God. Conclusion: Generally, most participants had come to terms with the amputation and were managing well while some expressed that they were struggling with reintegration to their communities of origin three months postoperatively with both functional and psychosocial challenges