Original Research

Access to rehabilitation services for families of children with disabilities in Ghana

Hasehni Vampere, Ebenezer Dassah, Rebecca Tawiah, Melody A. Quarm
Rehabilitation Advances in Developing Health Systems | Vol 1, No 1 | a19 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/radhs.v1i1.19 | © 2024 Hasehni Vampere, Ebenezer Dassah, Rebecca Tawiah, Melody A. Quarm | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 11 August 2024 | Published: 09 December 2024

About the author(s)

Hasehni Vampere, Department of Health Promotion and Disability Studies, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Ebenezer Dassah, Department of International and Global Health, Department of Global and International Health, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Rebecca Tawiah, Department of Health Promotion and Disability Studies, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Melody A. Quarm, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatisitcs, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Early rehabilitation interventions can significantly mitigate the effects of disabilities in children as they grow older. However, families of children with disabilities (CWDs) in resource-deprived settings face limited opportunities to access rehabilitation services for their children resulting in largely unmet rehabilitation needs.

Aim: This study assessed knowledge of families of CWDs on rehabilitation services and accessibility to services for their children.

Setting: The study was carried out in the selected districts in the Upper West Region, Ghana.

Methods: Families that knew about rehabilitation services and acknowledged their child’s need for one were the subjects of this cross-sectional, quantitative study, using a researcher-administered questionnaire. STATA software was utilised for analysis.

Results: Over half of the participants, 113 (54.85%), attempted to access rehabilitation services for their children, but only 31 (27.18%) were successful. The barriers to access included financial problems (n = 197 [95.63%]), shyness (n = 167 [81.07%]), transportation issues (n = 155 [75.24%]), community discouragement (n = 145 [70.39%]) and the attitudes of healthcare providers (n = 145 [70.39%]). Among those who accessed rehabilitation services, over half reported dissatisfaction with travel distance and associated costs (n = 18 [58.06%]), as well as travel time and wait time for services (n = 15 [48.39%]). Participants with no formal education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07, 0.59) and those who agreed that negative attitudes from health personnel were a barrier to access (AOR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.00–1.01) were less likely to access rehabilitation services for their children.

Conclusion: The low access to rehabilitation services suggests that many CWDs may miss relevant rehabilitation services that could improve their health outcomes and functioning. Policy interventions are required to facilitate families’ access to rehabilitation services for their children.

Contribution: This study contributes to the literature on rehabilitation care in Ghana and provides a foundation for further research in rehabilitation care in the Upper West Region, as it is the first of its kind conducted in the region.


Keywords

knowledge; accessibility; rehabilitation services; families of children with disabilities; rural setting; Ghana

Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 3: Good health and well-being

Metrics

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