Relationship between manual wheelchair skill performance and participation of persons with spinal cord injuries 1 year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation

Abstract

This cross-sectional study describes the level of manual wheelchair skill performance and participation of persons with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) 1 year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and tests the hypothesis that wheelchair skill performance is positively related to participation. Participants included 81 persons with SCI from eight rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands, The Wheelchair Circuit consists of eight wheelchair skills and results in three test scores: ability, performance time, and physical strain. Participation was assessed with the sum of the subscales Mobility Range and Social Behavior of the 68-Item Sickness Impact Profile (SIP-SOC). SIPSOC was moderately related to the ability score (the Spearman rank correlation [r^] = -0.49), the performance time score (r_5= 0,54), and the physical strain score (r^ = 0.38). The regression analyses showed that, after controlling for lesion and personal characteristics, manual wheelehair skill performance is positively related to participation, with the strongest association for the performance time score. In persons with SCI who are manual wheelchair users, wheelchair skill performance is moderately associated to participation. Training of wheelchair skills has to be an important goal of rehabilitation, and persons should be stimulated to maintain their wheelchair skills after discharge from rehabilitation.

Preliminary Examination of the Relation Between Participation and Confidence in Older Manual Wheelchair Users

“…12 In our study, the fact that the confidence term alone accounted for 10% of the participation variance has both research and clinical implications. Because existing participation models have explained only modest amounts of variance, 5,6 inclusion of the confidence variable into future studies of older manual wheelchair users will likely contribute to a greater overall understanding describing the complexities of participation. Furthermore, because confidence is modifiable, 8 building strategies by means of performance accomplishment, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and/or managing physiological and affective states 6 clinically may potentially improve an individual's participation, even among experienced wheelchair users.…”

“…5 It has recently been validated for use with wheelchair users. 7 Each item is scored using a response scale ranging from 0 (not confident) to 100 (completely confident).…”

“…9 The Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale (WheelCon) is comprised of 65 situations that challenge confidence with using a manual wheelchair. 5 It has recently been validated for use with wheelchair users. 7 Each item is scored using a response scale ranging from 0 (not confident) to 100 (completely confident).…”

“…3 Thus, an issue in the study of this population is that despite knowledge of an increase in the prevalence of older wheelchair users related to aging, an insufficient amount of research has focused only on a limited number of determinants of participation, accounting for modest amounts of variance. 5,6 Confidence with using a manual wheelchair is an emerging construct in the study of community-living, older wheelchair users. 7 According to Social Cognitive Theory, 8 confidence is the belief individuals have in their ability to perform certain behaviours to achieve desired outcomes (for purposes of this paper we use confidence and self-efficacy interchangeably).…”

Evaluation of the physical activity scale for individuals with physical disabilities in people with spinal cord injury

“…8 The sum of the subscales Mobility Range and Social Behavior of the SIP68 (SIPSOC) was used to assess perceived limitations in participation. 6 Outcome measures physical capacity To determine peak aerobic power output and peak oxygen consumption subjects performed a standardized graded peak wheelchair exercise test on a motor-driven treadmill according to a standardized protocol. 9 Metabolic cost was continuously measured during the exercise blocks with a metabolic cart (Oxycon Delta, Jaeger, Germany).…”