Disability among Clients Attending Taif Rehabilitation Centre, Saudi Arabia

This is a cross-sectional study of hospital records of people who were admitted to Rehab Armed Forces Rehabilitation Center, Taif, Saudi Arabia from 1999– 2005. Eight hundred and fifty records were reviewed. Data were collected on age, sex, nationality, data of admission and discharge and type of disability. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to determine predictors of long stay at the hospital. Trauma as an etiology of disability was more common than non-traumatic incidents among male and middle aged clients (16-45 years). Traumatic accidents mostly result in quadriplegia (72.8%). Male, single, less than 45 years old, people with traumatic accidents and people with paralytic types of disability were significantly more likely to stay longer at the hospital. Home care programme should be expanded to minimize duration of stay at the rehabilitation centres. Health education of the public would help in encouraging disabled people to adapt to daily life activities.