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Satisfaction with social roles and activities across mobility status among persons with spinal cord injury

Spinal Cord (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Study design

Cross-sectional study.

Objective

To examine the differences in satisfaction with social roles and activities among ambulatory individuals, manual wheelchair users, and power wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries (SCIs).

Setting

Community setting.

Methods

Participants completed surveys of their demographics and clinical data as well as the Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities- Short Form. Participants’ mobility status was categorized into (1) ambulatory individuals, (2) independent manual wheelchair users, and (3) power wheelchair/scooter users. One-way ANOVA and ANCOVA were used, respectively, to examine unadjusted and adjusted differences in satisfaction with social roles and activities across mobility status. Adjustment covariates included age, sex, time since SCI, and SCI injury level.

Results

A total of 129 participants (mean age = 47.4 ± 13.6 years, 73% male) were included in the analyses. Unadjusted (F = 3.8, p = 0.03) and adjusted models (F = 3.4, p = 0.04) evidenced significant differences in satisfaction with social roles and activities according to mobility status. Pairwise Bonferroni Post-Hoc analysis indicated that manual wheelchair users were more satisfied with their social roles and activities when compared to ambulatory individuals (mean difference = 2.8, p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Due to the current challenges associated with walking recovery after SCIs, clinicians may want to discuss the use of wheelchairs with individuals with limited walking ability when the goal is to improve participation and quality of life. Emphasizing alternative means of mobility may enhance satisfaction with social roles and activities.

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Data availability

Data utilized in the current study may be made available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

The study was funded by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation under award number 287372 (PI: A.L. Kratz). LA was supported by a Mentor-Based Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Rehabilitation Research (MB-1706-27943; PI: ALK) from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Libak Abou & Anna Kratz

  2. Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain

    Oriol Martinez-Navarro

  3. Healthcare Research Group, IRB Lleida, Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarre Foundation, Lleida, Spain

    Oriol Martinez-Navarro

Authors
  1. Libak Abou
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  2. Oriol Martinez-Navarro
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  3. Anna Kratz
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Contributions

LA contributed by developing the study idea, analyzing the data, interpreting the results, and writing the original draft of the manuscript. OMN contributed by supporting the study idea, interpreting the results, and revising the draft of the manuscript. AK contributed by developing the original study, overseeing the study procedures, editing the original draft, and revising the draft of the manuscript. All authors revised the manuscript on response to reviewer comments and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Libak Abou.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval

The study protocol was approved by the University of Michigan IRBMED: HUM00085266; Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan IRB: 036714B3E; and University of Washington IRB: 49036. The study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Abou, L., Martinez-Navarro, O. & Kratz, A. Satisfaction with social roles and activities across mobility status among persons with spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-024-00984-9

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