Addressing data deficiencies in assistive technology by using statistical matching methodology: a case study from Malawi.

The statistical matching procedure does enable generation of good data in data constrained contexts. In the current study, this approach enabled measurement of access to assistive products among children with disabilities, in situations where the variables of interest have not been jointly observed. Such a technique can be valuable in mining secondary data, the collection of which may have been funded from different sources and for different purposes. This is of significance for the efficient use of current and future data sets, allowing new questions to be asked and addressed by locally based researchers in poor settings.Implications for RehabilitationIn resource-poor settings, the technique of statistical matching can be used to examine factors that predict the use of assistive technology among persons with disabilities.The statistical matching technique is of significance for the efficient use of current and future datasets, allowing new questions to be asked and addressed by locally based researchers.