Availability and Utilization of Rehabilitation Services Among People with Disabilities in Maiduguri, Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria

Rehabilitation services are interventions designed to optimize functioning and reduce disability in individuals living with disability. Given the growing need for these services, especially in conflict-affected areas like Maiduguri, understanding their availability and utilization is crucial. The aim of the study was to assess the availability and utilization of rehabilitation services among people with disabilities in Maiduguri, Borno state. The study employed a cross-sectional study design. A total of 488 participants with disabilities were assessed using cluster sampling. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire with sections on socio-demographics, awareness, availability, utilization, and factors influencing utilization of rehabilitation services. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 30, using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, with P-value set at ≤0.05. The mean age of the respondents was 43.3 ± 15.2 SD, with 30.7% within the age range of 55-65 years. Slightly more than two-third (69.1%) of the respondents were males. Majority (70.1%) of the respondents were aware of rehabilitation services of whom 77.8% reported service availability with access to specialized services such as occupational therapy (2.6%) remained limited. The most utilized service was physiotherapy (33.7%) and the major factors affecting utilization include stigmatization (29.3%), transportation (27.5%) and affordability (14.7%). Factors associated with utilization of rehabilitation services were age, level of education and type of disability of which all were found to be statistically significance with p-value of <0.001. This study revealed that awareness of rehabilitation services was high in Maiduguri while utilization was affected by financial constraints, accessibility issues, and stigma. There are gaps in availability of certain services like occupational therapy. Addressing these gaps through improved accessibility and funding could improve outcomes for people with disabilities in Maiduguri, Borno State.