Current Status of Acceptance of Disability and the Correlation With the Life Quality in Parkinson's Disease in Southwest China

BackgroundAcceptance of disability (AOD) is a process that a patient must undergo to cope with altered abilities, but its effect in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. The present study aimed to determine the level of AOD, examine the influence of sociodemographic variables and disease characteristics on the AOD level, and evaluate the relation between AOD level and quality of life in a cohort of PD patients from Southwest of China. MethodsA total of 336 PD patients were consecutively recruited from November 2018 to October 2020. At enrollment, demographic and clinical data were obtained using a questionnaire, and the Acceptance of Disability Scale-Revised (AODS-R) scale was used to measure the AOD level. ResultsThe mean total score of AOD is 87.28, indicating a moderate level of disability acceptance in PD patients. Statistical analysis showed that understanding of PD, family support, and UPDRS-II score were major factors affecting AOD level, and patients with low AOD levels were more likely to have poorer quality of life. ConclusionAOD is a serious problem in PD patients in Southwest China, especially among individuals with insufficient family support and a lack of recognition of the disease. AOD was also associated with motor function and daily living ability, thus suggesting that evaluation of the AOD and promotion of the awareness may be helpful to improve the quality of life in patients with PD.

Automated summary

It's important to understand the level of acceptance of disability (AOD) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) for better management and quality of life. This study found that PD patients in Southwest China generally have a moderate level of AOD. Factors such as understanding of PD, family support, and disease severity significantly influence AOD level, and patients with lower AOD levels tend to have poorer quality of life.