749 - Perceived Importance of Health Determinants among Lower Limb Amputees: Insights from a Tertiary Hospital in Malaysia Using the “MYSCORECARD” Framework

Objectives: Lower limb amputation adversely affects the overall health and well-being of amputees. Prof. Dr. James Rimmer, head of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)/Lakeshore Research Collaborative introduced the comprehensive "MYSCORECARD," a holistic health management framework. “MYSCORECARD” comprise of three core domains (body, mind, and spirit), encompassing acronyms of eleven health determinants: "Minding your thoughts and emotions," "Your spiritual practice," "Self-care skills," "Core values," "Outdoor time in nature," "Relationships," "Exercise," "Contribution to others," "Arts and entertainment," "Rest and relaxation," and "Diet." This study aimed to identify important health determinants perceived by lower limb amputees and assess their fulfillment by using the "MYSCORECARD" framework.

Design: In this cross-sectional study, seventy-seven participants (mean age 57.2, SD 11.8) were enrolled from a tertiary hospital in Malaysia. Data were collected through self-administered structured questionnaires in English, based on the "MYSCORECARD" framework. Pilot questionnaires underwent face validation and demonstrated reliability with Cronbach's Alpha exceeding 0.7 (n=10, Cronbach's alpha = 0.91). Perceptions of health determinant importance in "MYSCORECARD" were assessed on a 4-point Likert scale (1=Not important, 2=Slightly important, 3=Moderately Important, 4=Very important) along with determinants' fulfillment status (yes/no). Descriptive analysis was used for statistical evaluation.

Results: All "MYSCORECARD" health determinants were deemed important by lower limb amputees; "Self-care skills" ranked highest (mean: 3.78, SD 0.47) while "Outdoor time in nature" ranked lowest (mean 2.74, SD 0.97). No determinants were regarded as “not important”. "Minding your thoughts and emotions" was most fulfilled (n=71, 92.2%), while "Outdoor time in nature" was least fulfilled (n=28, 36.4%) among lower limb amputees.

Conclusions: This study highlighted the perceived importance of all “MYSCORECARD” health determinants for lower limb amputees, urging further exploration of its integration into amputee rehabilitation for holistic well-being. The lowest ranking of "Outdoor time in nature" for both perceived importance and fulfillment necessitate further investigation for comprehensive addressing in amputee rehabilitation.