title: Assistive technology and prediction of happiness in people withpost-polio syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between level of happiness in people with post-polio syndrome (PPS) and assistive technology (AT) by taking into account confounding factors such as age, gender and house composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Existing data from 218 adults with PPS, who had completed a cross-sectional survey conducted by the British Polio Fellowship in 2007, were used for a secondary quantitative analysis. Ordinal logistic regression was applied to determine whether ownership of or the need for AT predicted happiness in people with PPS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ownership of AT did not predict happiness, whereas the perceived need for AT was a significant predictor of feeling less happy (p = 0.028). Among the different types of AT needed, only need of home adaptations combined with major equipment was close to being significantly associated with less happiness (p = 0.078). Being older (p < 0.001) and living with a partner (p < 0.001) significantly increased the likelihood of feeling happier.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate the importance of the contribution of need for AT in explaining happiness in people with PPS. The fact that users reported unmet equipment needs urge for increased user decision making and better understanding of why perceived needs are not resolved. [Box: see text].
authors: Brunel University, School of Health Sciences and Social Care , Uxbridge, UB8 3PH , UK.
authors: Georgia
authors: G
authors: Spiliotopoulou
authors: Carly
authors: C
authors: Fowkes
authors: Anita
authors: A
authors: Atwal
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016262:Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult