Assessment of the Ability to Perform Activities of Daily Living: A Study Among Freedom Fighters in Bangladesh

• Main Authors: Haider, Shawkat Ara, Miah, Md Titu, Jarrin, Rahnuma, Khan, Mohammad Ashik Imran
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Bangladesh Medical Research Council 2021
• Subjects: Freedom fighters; Daily activity; Activity of Daily Living Scales; IADLS; sami
• Online Access: https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/BMRCB/article/view/52253

Background: Bangladesh got its glorious victory of independence in 1971 from Pakistan after nine months of the liberation war. After 47 years, freedom fighters are in geriatric age. Objective: The study was aimed to assess the ability to perform daily living activities among the Freedom fighters of Bangladesh. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study and a mixed-method qualitative and quantitative. It was conducted from December 2017 to May 2018. A total of 153 freedom fighters who actively participated in the Liberation War were randomly selected from eight Bangladesh divisions. The Sami-structure questionnaire was collected in quantitative data. Qualitative data was collected by key informant interviews (KII) Physical functional status was determined by Activity of Daily Living Scales (ADLS) and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living Scales (IADLS). Freedom fighters who actively participated in the Liberation War and gladly participated were included in the study. Results: Among the 153 respondents, 92.8% were Muslim and mean age 68.50±5.808 years. Their monthly family income was a minimum of 6000 BDT and a maximum of 500000 BDT, and 92.2% received the freedom fighter allowance. Most of them lived with their family members and about half of them took care of themselves. Activities of the daily living scale showed that two-third of them had difficulties in one or more activities. The Instrumental Activities of daily living scale revealed that most of them had problems in one or more instrumental activities. Conclusion: This study revealed that the ability to perform daily living activities was so difficult for Freedom fighters at their old ages. Further large-scale studies involving all living freedom fighters could show a more complex scenario. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2020; 46(3): 184-188