A Study of the Factors Related to the Quality of Life of Students with Disabilities at Kerman Universities

Quality of life is a comprehensive concept related to physical health, psychological status, level of independence, social relations, personal beliefs, and environmental factors.  This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the quality of life of students with disabilities in the universities of Kerman, Iran.

The present study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population (n=307) consisted of students with disabilities in Kerman province selected by the census method. The required data were collected using a two-part questionnaire that included demographic characteristics and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS19 software    using analysis of variance, t-test, and multivariate regression analysis.

The results showed that the total score of quality of life of the students was (46.4831±9.5117). Among the dimensions of quality of life, the highest mean score was related to social health (67.5207±20.69675), while the lowest mean score was obtained for general health (34.0798±21.01655). In addition, the quality of life of students was associated with gender,  education level, residence status, number of children in the family, family income, type of disability, and cause and severity of their disability (P<0.05). The results of multivariate regression analysis showed that residence status, family income, number of children in the family, and severity, cause, and type of disability significantly predicted the quality of life of students (R2=0.36).

This study provides useful evidence for identifying the factors that influence the quality of life and makes it possible to plan and implement appropriate health policies to improve the quality of life of students.