Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Family Quality of Life from the Perspective of Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Dajana Bulić — 2025-08-03

Aim: The quality of life of families with children with intellectual disabilities has been frequently analysed in recent research. There are numerous factors that influence the quality of life of families. The aim of the study was to determine the quality of life of families of children with intellectual disabilities who are cared for by the Sloboština Rehabilitation Centre.

Methods: The study used the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale questionnaire, which was completed online by the parents. 51 parents of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities took part in the study.

Results: The results of the study show that the overall quality of life is satisfactory. However, parents of children with intellectual disabilities are least satisfied with emotional well-being and disability-related support. They are not satisfied with the time they have to pursue their interests or with outside help for all family members. They also consider the support a child with disabilities receives at school to be mediocre. No statistically significant differences in quality of life were found in relation to the age and gender of parents and children, except for the family interaction subscale, where families with girls had a better quality of life.

Conclusion: The results of the study show that although the overall quality of life is satisfactory, families of children with intellectual disabilities need external support that provides them with some free time but also aims to support all family members.

Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes Through Sensory Modulation Profiles in Adults with Atypical Sensory Processing: A Cross-Sectional Study

Patricija Goubar — 2025-08-03

Background: Sensory integration dysfunction (SID) often involves sensory modulation difficulties that can significantly impair daily functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults. Despite its prevalence, the relationship between sensory modulation profiles and HRQoL in adults with SID remains underexplored. Understanding this link is essential for developing targeted interventions to address diverse symptom profiles.

Objectives: This study examined the association between sensory modulation difficulties and multiple HRQoL dimensions in adults with SID.

Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study included 86 adults aged 23–54 years, divided into two groups: adults with SID and healthy controls. Sensory modulation was assessed using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile Questionnaire, and HRQoL was measured with the SF-36 instrument. Statistical analyses included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson’s correlation. The null hypothesis tested for no differences in HRQoL scores between groups.

Results: Significant differences were found between groups across all eight SF-36 domains and the overall HRQoL score (p < 0.001), with controls consistently scoring higher in each domain. Correlation analyses showed no significant associations between HRQoL outcomes and demographic variables (age, gender).

Conclusion: These findings confirm a strong association between SID and reduced HRQoL in adults, affecting both physical and mental health. The consistent impact across age and gender groups highlights the importance of personalized therapeutic approaches.

Clinical Application of the Bulgarian Version of the SCCAN: Pilot Data From Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Ischemic Stroke

Kostadin Chompalov — 2025-08-03

Abstract

Aim: This study evaluated the clinical utility of the Scales of Cognitive and Communicative Ability for Neurorehabilitation (SCCAN) upon assessing Bulgarian in-patients who present with either ischemic stroke or Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim was to determine whether this tool could detect cognitive-communicative problems that may be missed by customary screening tools.

Methods: We conducted two independent pilot studies: one with 14 AD patients, and a second with 19 stroke patients and 31 healthy controls. All participants completed the Bulgarian SCCAN, which assesses eight domains including oral expression, orientation, memory, auditory and reading comprehension, writing, attention, and problem-solving. Stroke and control participants also underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Descriptive statistics were used so group performance and correlations could be examined. Tests that are non-parametric were also used.

Results: SCCAN revealed domain-specific deficits in clinical cohorts. In the AD group, memory and orientation were the most impaired domains. Stroke patients, on the other hand, showed significant impairments, particularly in memory, oral expression, and auditory comprehension, while orientation and attention were relatively preserved. Overall, stroke patients performed significantly better on the SCCAN than the AD group. These findings reveal distinct cognitive–communicative profiles in AD versus stroke populations.

Conclusion: SCCAN's Bulgarian version identified cognitive-communicative deficits with clinical sensitivity in patients with AD as well as with those with ischemic stroke. The tool may guide individualized neurorehabilitation and complement standard screening methods. Additional verification is advised.

Residential care staff working knowledge of reporting restrictive practices within Intellectual Disability and Older Persons care settings: A scoping review.

Veronica Mukwashi — 2025-08-03

Introduction: This Restrictive practice is an intentional restriction of an individual’s voluntary movement or behaviour. Given the impingement of human rights associated with restrictive practice, many jurisdictions all over the world have advocated for a reduction in their use, highlighting the importance of reporting restrictive practice. However, a paucity of literature exists examining the knowledge of residential care staff regarding reporting restrictive practice.

Aim: To examine the knowledge of residential care staff regarding the reporting of restrictive practices in intellectual disability and older persons care settings.

Methods: A scoping review referenced to JBI and PRISMA guidelines was used. The studies were retrieved from a library multi-search function of various databases. Sixteen studies were included in the final analysis.

Findings: Findings demonstrate that residential staff lack knowledge of what defines a restrictive practice and find the reporting system as unnecessary, time consuming and burdensome. The identified barriers to reporting restrictive practice included: fear, lack of clear guidelines and awareness of the reporting system, lack of time, and staff shortages. While the facilitators included awareness campaigns, availability of appropriate reporting structures, and managerial support.

Conclusion: This review suggests that improvements in terms of residential staff understanding of and reporting of restrictive practice is required. Moreover, this review has the potential to assist policymakers to understand the individual, organisational and regulatory barriers and facilitators to reporting restrictive practice within intellectual disability and older persons care settings.

Relative Bias in Health Estimates from Probability-Based Online Panels: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Andrea Ivanovska — 2025-08-03

Introduction: Health surveys require the highest data quality, especially when they inform public health policies. With recent technological developments, probability-based online panels (PBOPs) are becoming an attractive cost-effective alternative to traditional surveys. They are also beginning to be used for official health statistics. However, PBOPs still face concerns about bias, especially for health-related estimates.

Method: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of PBOP PBOP health survey data quality, with relative bias (RB) of the estimates as the effect size. We analysed 137 health-related survey items from 14 studies and used a linear regression model to examine factors that moderate RB.

Results: The RB varied considerably across the subjects, and its overall median was 12.7%. The highest RBs were exhibited by disabilities (23.6%), mental illnesses (23.2%), personal mental health conditions (20.8%) and drug use (20.7%), and the lowest, by doctor’s treatment (2.24%). The measurement levels with ordinal scales (25.8%) showed higher RB, and certain country effects were also observed.

Conclusion: This moderate bias of the health estimates raises concerns about the accuracy of PBOP estimates regarding sensitive health topics. Therefore, PBOP should be used cautiously for official health statistics; and when designing PBOP surveys for health subjects, the item and study characteristics should be included as methodological considerations.