Health information seeking by women with physical disabilities: A qualitative analysis.
Rosemary B Hughes, Leanne Beers, Susan Robinson-Whelen
PMID 35123921WHAT IT FOUND
Women with mobility disabilities described providers often lacking disability-specific sexual, reproductive and pelvic health information.
Some found physical therapists a helpful source, and self-advocacy helped them access information.
Key findings
01For general health information, participants reported the Internet as the predominant source, followed by medical professionals, peers and family, and other media.
02For sexual and reproductive health, participants first approached medical professionals, but seventeen women reported negative experiences seeking sexual health information.
03Physical therapists were described as a valued resource for disability-specific pelvic health; one participant said only two physical therapists gave her relevant information after multiple doctors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Twenty-one women attended meetings, and thirteen of the thirty-four enrolled women did not attend any, so the sample was small and self-selected. Internet access was required, which may have made online information seeking look more common than it is for women without reliable access. The sample was diverse in age, disability characteristics and geographic representation, but it was not fully representative in education, race and disability type. Participants were asked about general, sexual, reproductive and pelvic health, not other health information needs. Sexual orientation was not collected, so the study cannot describe experiences of sexual minority women. Qualitative themes describe experiences and barriers; they do not show that any provider type improves health outcomes.
Declared interests
The article is tagged as supported by NIH extramural research funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that physical therapists are better than other providers or that all women with mobility disabilities experience these barriers. It is a qualitative study of 21 mostly White, college-educated women who had Internet access, and it reports themes rather than measured outcomes.