Investigating the Relationship Between Independent Functioning and Patients Admitted to the Surgical Department of the Mongolian-Japanese Hospital
- VernacularTitle:Монгол-Япон эмнэлгийн мэс заслын тасагт хэвтэн эмчлүүлэгчдийн бие даах чадварыг үнэлэн хоорондын хамаарлыг судлах нь
- Author:
Oyunsuvd В
1
,
2
;
Davaakhuu B
2
Author Information
1. School of Nursing, MNUMS
2. Mongolia -Japan Hospital, MNUMS
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Eating;
dressing;
Continence control;
Mobility;
Bathing
- From:
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences
2025;85(1):74-78
- CountryMongolia
- Language:Mongolian
-
Abstract:
Background :Activities of Daily Living (ADL) refer to the essential self-care tasks necessary for independent living. A
2021 study conducted in France by researchers Axelle Kostenobel and Wierle Knoop found that the loss of independent
functioning is a syndrome of physiological decline, with 60% of post-surgical patients experiencing a reduction in their
independence. In Mongolia, there is limited research on the ability of post-surgical patients to perform daily activities
independently. Therefore, this study was conducted to address this gap.
Aim:The objective of this study is to assess the level of independence among patients admitted to the Surgical Department of the Mongolian-Japanese Hospital and to analyze the interrelationships between different functional abilities.
Materials and Methods:This study was conducted as a cross-sectional quantitative study involving 185 patients who
underwent surgery at the Surgical Department of the Mongolian-Japanese Hospital, affiliated with the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. The patients’ independence levels were evaluated postoperatively using the standard
six-question ADL assessment questionnaire developed by Katz et al. (1963). The collected data were analyzed using
SPSS 25.0, with normality distributions assessed. Since the data did not follow a normal distribution, Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficient was used to determine the strength of associations between variables.
Results:Among the study participants, 50.8% (n=94) were male, and 49.2% (n=91) were female. The average age was
47.9±14.56 years, and the mean hospital stay was 2.7±1.6 days. The assessment of independence levels revealed that:
• 11.9% (n=22) were completely dependent,
• 21.1% (n=39) had impaired independence, and
• 67% (n=124) maintained normal or good independence.
The mean hospital stay for patients with normal or good independence was 2.51±1.42 days, while it was 2.79±1.73 days
for those with impaired independence and 3.6±2.03 days for fully dependent patients. There was a weak positive correlation between independence level and length of hospital stay (r=0.159, p=0.03).
Strong direct correlations were observed between:
• Eating ability and dressing ability (r=0.671, p=0.001), bathing ability (r=0.568, p=0.001), mobility (r=0.571,
p=0.001), toileting ability (r=0.588, p=0.001), and continence control (r=0.609, p=0.001).
• Dressing ability and bathing ability (r=0.766, p=0.001), mobility (r=0.723, p=0.001), toileting ability (r=0.788,
p=0.001), and continence control (r=0.736, p=0.001).
• Bathing ability and mobility (r=0.789, p=0.001), toileting ability (r=0.715, p=0.001), and continence control
(r=0.644, p=0.001).
• Mobility and toileting ability (r=0.822, p=0.001) and continence control (r=0.770, p=0.001).
• Toileting ability and continence control (r=0.909, p=0.001).
Conclusion: One-third of the patients admitted to the surgical department experienced a decline in independence or
complete dependence postoperatively, which was weakly correlated with a longer hospital stay. The various functional
abilities that determine independence were strongly interrelated.
- Full text:202505271427343353874-78.pdf
