Physiotherapy

Permanent URI for this community

https://rscarchive.kuhes.ac.mw/handle/20.500.12988/840

Browse

Browsing Physiotherapy by Author "Nyasa, Charles"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Restricted
    Evaluation of functional capacity, physical activity levels and health-related quality of life of community-dwelling older Malawian population in Blantyre
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2020-06-10) Nyasa, Charles
    The population of older people in Malawi is rising and this may be good news considering the many ways in which older people may contribute to realization of national development goals. While it is clear that old age is associated with deterioration in physiological reserves and functional abilities due to either diseases that are associated with old age or the ageing process itself, evidence suggests that investing in older people’s health and long-term care assists in improving their functional abilities and overall quality of life. This has been shown to translate into improved capacity to keep a job and maintain gainful employment, increased agricultural productivity, full participation in family and community activities, and less pressure on a nation’s health and economic systems. The nation of Malawi needs to respond to the rise in population ageing by formulating policies and implementing long-term programmes that position older people favourably in the society. In order to do this, high-quality information on current health states and quality of life of older Malawians is required to adequately inform policy and allow effective implementation of interventions. At the moment, this is a challenge as studies on health characteristics and lifestyle of older Malawians are scarce. Although some researchers have previously studied individual components of socio-economic status (such as family structure), and prevalence of geriatric syndromes among older Malawians, which have an impact on quality of life in general, functional capacity and quality of life scores among older Malawians have not been previously studied in Malawi. This challenge was also acknowledged in the current National Policy for Older Persons, 2016, which calls responsible ministries and institutions to stimulate development of research agendas for the elderly sector and promote dissemination of research findings on population ageing. This proposed study aims at evaluating functional capacity, physical activity levels and health related quality of life of older Malawians who are ageing in place in Blantyre. A cross-sectional study design with a mixed-methods approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods will be employed in this study. It is believed that findings of this study when published and presented to policy makers and academics will assist in informing formulation of appropriate policies and long-term-care investment programmes. In addition, the study will provide baseline data from which future studies may be designed, and the availability of data itself will inspire other professionals to develop interest in issues of population ageing.