Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing the Use of Assistive Technology among Children with Disabilities in Malawi.

Malcolm MacLachlan,Alister Munthali,Ikenna D. Ebuenyi,Monica Jamali-Phiri,Emma M. Smith,Juba Alyce Kafumba

doi:10.3390/ijerph18063062

Abstract

This paper aims to address the information gap on the influence of socio-demographic factors on access and utilization of Assistive Technology (AT) among children with disabilities in Malawi. Thus, it contributes towards the realization of the recommendations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities and the development of a framework for creating an effective national AT policy. The paper used two statistically matched datasets, namely, the 2017 survey on Living conditions among persons with disabilities in Malawi and the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health survey. Logistic regression and structural equation modeling techniques were utilized to assess the influence of socio-demographic factors on the use of AT among children with disabilities. The results indicate that there is a high level of unmet need for AT among young children aged 2 to 9 and those living in urban areas. The results further indicate that children with multiple disabilities have lower odds (OR = 0.924) of using AT for personal mobility compared to children with a single functional difficulty. These results entail that AT needs for children with multiple disabilities are not adequately addressed. Therefore, when developing policies on AT, younger children and those with multiple disabilities need to be specifically targeted.

Highlights

Despite the global need and recognized benefits of assistive technology (AT), access to it in the sub-Saharan Africa region continues to be limited [1,2,3]
The logistic regression results demonstrate that the presence of impairment—whether walking, sitting, or mental development—is significantly associated with the use of AT
This study investigated socio-demographic factors that influence the use of AT among children with disabilities using logistic regression and structural equation modeling

Summary

Introduction

Despite the global need and recognized benefits of assistive technology (AT), access to it in the sub-Saharan Africa region continues to be limited [1,2,3]. Organization’s Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) initiative as any product (including devices, equipment, instruments, and software) either specially designed or produced or generally available, whose primary purpose is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence and thereby promote their wellbeing [4]. Addressing this unmet need in the region is essential as AT is recognized as an important mediator in the equitable achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals [5] and the realization of the recommendations of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [3,6].

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion