Article

Sense of Coherence (SOC) is important for successful adaptation and
mental well-being in people with life-long medical conditions. Late effects of
polio (LEoP) often lead to a life-long disability, but no study has assessed SOC
in this population. OBJECTIVE: To assess SOC in persons with LEoP and to explore
the association between SOC, demographics (age, gender, marital status and level
of education) and variables related to LEoP (age at polio onset, number of years
from polio until onset of LEoP and self-rated disability). METHOD: Ninety-three
community-dwelling persons with clinically verified LEoP responded to a postal
survey with the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). A hierarchical multiple
regression analysis was performed to explore the associations with SOC. RESULTS:
SOC varied considerably among the participants. The mean and median SOC-13 total
sum score was 71.8 and 76 points, which is similar to age-matched non-disabled
people. The number of years before onset of LEoP and self-rated disability
together with the participants' marital status and level of education explained
37% (p < 0.001) of the variance in SOC. CONCLUSION: Persons with LEoP have a
level of SOC indicating that they generally have the ability to understand,
handle and being motivated when dealing with stressful events and problems
arising in their lives as a result of their disability. Being married and having
a higher education, living many years before onset of LEoP and perceiving a mild
to moderate disability contributed to a strong SOC.

Langue : ANGLAIS