Relationship between secondary health conditions and life satisfaction in persons with spinal cord injury:study across twenty-one countries

Purpose: To determine the relationships between impact of secondary health conditions (SHCs), treatment of SHCs, and life satisfaction (LS) following spinal cord injury (SCI) across 21 countries. Hypotheses were as follows: (1) Persons with SCI and fewer SHCs report higher LS and (2) Persons who receive treatment for SHCs report higher LS than those who do not receive treatment.Methods: Cross-sectional survey, including 10,499 persons with traumatic or non-traumatic SCI aged 18 years or older and living in the community. To assess SHCs, 14 items adapted from the SCI-Secondary Conditions Scale were used (range 1–5). SHCs index was calculated as the mean of all 14 items. LS was assessed using a selection of 5 items from the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment. LS index was calculated as the mean of these 5 items. Results: South Korea, Germany, and Poland exhibited the highest (2.40–2.93) and Brazil, China, and Thailand the lowest (1.79–1.90) impact of SHCs. Indexes for LS and SHCs were inversely correlated (– 0.418; p &lt; 0.001). Mixed Model Analysis showed that the fixed effect (key predictors of the study) of SHCs index (p &lt; 0.001) and the positive interaction between SHCs index and treatment (p = 0.002) were significant determinants of LS.Conclusion: Persons with SCI across the world are more likely to perceive better LS if they experience fewer SHCs and receive treatment for SHCs, in comparison to those who do not. Prevention and treatment of SHCs following SCI should be a high priority in order to improve the lived experience and enhance LS.</p

Wheelchair service provision education for healthcare professional students, healthcare personnel and educators across low- to high-resourced settings: a scoping review

Purpose This review aimed to collate and summarize available research literature about wheelchair service provision education available to healthcare professional students, healthcare personnel and educators across low- to high-resourced settings. Methods The Joanna Briggs Institute methodological steps for scoping reviews were followed. Included studies were mainly sourced from Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Academic Search Complete and ProQuest. Independent title, abstract and full-text screening with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria was performed. All screening and extraction were performed independently by two authors. A thematic approach was used to synthesize results. Data extracted from included studies were charted according to a template that we created. The study quality was also appraised. Results A total of 25 articles were included (11, 36% from high-income settings) with 12 (48%) observational studies and 13 (52%) experimental studies. The literature addressed three main topics: (1) assessing wheelchair service provision knowledge, (2) implementing training interventions using in-person, online and/or hybrid learning approaches and (3) describing current wheelchair service provision education globally. The most frequently reported training programs used were the Wheelchair Skills Program and the World Health Organization Wheelchair Service Training Package – Basic Level. Conclusion Limited information has been published about the integration of wheelchair content into the curricula of professional rehabilitation programs. Efforts to build international partnerships, improve the quality and currency of training programs and build resources that can assist educators in the integration of wheelchair-related content into professional rehabilitation programs should be prioritized. Implications for Rehabilitation This is the first review that examined and synthesized the current state of wheelchair service provision education for rehabilitation students and personnel across low- to high-income countries. Findings from this review indicate that there is limited information about the integration of wheelchair-related content into professional rehabilitation programs. Efforts to build international partnerships, standardize wheelchair service provision content and evaluation and integrate training into professional rehabilitation programs worldwide should be prioritized

Amputee football in practice and research

Introduction: Sport for people with disabilities has interested scientists for a long time. However, there is a scarcity of research on the subject of amputee football – football adapted to individuals after amputations. The aim of the study was to describe this sport and to review research carried out in this field so far

Quality of life after stroke - pilot study

Wstęp. Obecnie do oceny skuteczności postępowania rehabilitacyjnego u osób po udarze mózgu coraz częściej stosuje się różnego rodzaju skale pomiaru jakości życia. Dotychczasowe wyniki badań w tym zakresie wskazują wyraźnie, że jakość życia osób po udarze mózgu ulega obniżeniu zarówno w aspekcie dobrostanu psychicznego, jak i w wymiarze funkcjonalnym. Materiał i metody. W pilotażowych badaniach jakości życia wzięło udział 25 osób po udarze mózgu. Do oceny subiektywnej i obiektywnej jakości życia użyto odpowiednio Kwestionariusza Satysfakcji Życiowej oraz anonimowej ankiety obejmującej dane demograficzne i ocenę obiektywnych aspektów jakości życia (zatrudnienie, dochody, sposób spędzania wolnego czasu). Wyniki. Z przeprowadzonych badań wynika, że osoby po udarze mózgu nisko oceniają swoją ogólną satysfakcję życiową - jedynie 24% badanych osób było zadowolonych z życia jako całości. Najczęściej podejmowaną formą spędzania czasu wolnego przez osoby po udarze mózgu było oglądanie telewizji. Osoby po udarze mózgu najbardziej zadowolone były z życia rodzinnego oraz z relacji z partnerem, natomiast najmniej satysfakcjonującą dziedziną życia była ich sytuacja zawodowa. Wnioski. Wskutek udaru mózgu obniża się jakość życia zarówno w wymiarze obiektywnym, jak i subiektywnym. Biorąc pod uwagę znaczenie, jakie ma ocena stanu jakości życia w programowaniu procesu indywidualnego usprawniania osób po udarze, prowadzenie badań na większą skalę w tym obszarze wydaje się istotne. Gerontol. Pol. 2010; 18, 3: 128-133Introduction. Nowadays, in order to assess effectiveness of rehabilitation process in people with stroke, different scales evaluating quality of life are used. Up-to-day results of research in this area show that quality of life after stroke decreases in two dimensions of well-being, psychological as well as functional. Material and methods. Twenty five people with stroke took part in the pilot study assessing quality of life. In order to assess subjective and objective quality of life the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and anonymous questionnaire covering demographic data and evaluation of objective aspects of life (employment, income, freetime activities) were used respectively. Results. The results of undertaken study show that people with stroke assess their global life satisfaction (life as a whole) as low. Only 24% of study participants were satisfied with their life as a whole. The most often activity undertaken by people with stroke within their free-time was watching television. People with stroke were most satisfied with their family life and partnership relations, and the least satisfying area of life was their vocational situation. Conclusion. The both dimensions of life quality, objective and subjective, decrease as a result of stroke. Taking into account the importance of quality of life assessment on individual rehabilitation program following stoke, it seems that future larger study in this area is needed. Gerontol. Pol. 2010; 18, 3: 128-13

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on athletes with disabilities preparing for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo

Abstract Objective The main aim of the study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on athletes preparing for the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games during 1 month of lockdown in Poland. The study involved 166 athletes (106 male, 66 female), members of either the Polish Paralympic Committee or the Polish Sports Association for the Disabled’Start’, two organizations responsible for managing and regulating sports played by persons with disabilities in Poland. Results Athletes with disabilities have been strongly affected by the pandemic and the resultant lockdown. The majority of respondents reported that they trained at home (88.6%), whereas 60.2% of athletes trained outdoors, and 12% suspended their training regimens altogether. Only 5.4% of athletes had some access to sport facilities. The athletes reduced their weekly training time by almost half (9.4 h/week vs. 5.3 h/week), a statistically significant difference (t = 16.261, p < 0.001)

INTERnational Project for the Evaluation of "activE Rehabilitation" (inter-PEER) - A protocol for a prospective cohort study of community peer-based training programmes for people with spinal cord injury

Background: Active Rehabilitation (AR) is a community peer-based concept for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) that is primarily delivered through brief residential training programmes. Despite a plethora of positive anecdotal evidence of AR programmes as life-changing experiences, the effects of AR-programmes have not been evaluated scientifically. Here, we present the protocol of the INTERnational Project for the Evaluation of "activE Rehabilitation" (inter-PEER) aiming to evaluate the effects of AR training programmes on community-dwelling individuals with SCI. Methods: International prospective cohort study that recruits consecutive participants in AR training programmes. Evaluation is conducted through a web-based survey at 3 time-points: at the commencement and completion of the training programme, and 3 months after the end of the training programme. Evaluation also includes a practical wheelchair skills test at the first two time-points. The primary outcome measures are the Spinal Cord Independence Measure Self-report (SCIM-SR), the Queensland Evaluation of Wheelchair Skills test (QEWS), the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) and the Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES). The secondary outcome measures are the 11-item Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-11), the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-Participation), the Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for people with SCI (LTPAQ-SCI) and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). We piloted the implementation of the protocol in Sweden in 7 participants with diverse SCI and sociodemographic characteristics and collected feedback from participants and peer-mentors about study procedures through interviews, a workshop and field observations. Discussion: Inter-PEER is the first initiative to propose a systematic evaluation of the effects of AR training programmes among individuals with SCI. The project is a collaborative work of multiple stakeholders, including researchers, clinicians, peer mentors with SCI, and administrators of organisations providing AR programmes. The inter-PEER uses standardised outcome measures relevant to the AR context, it will facilitate quality evaluations of community peer-based programmes, stimulate international collaborations, and inform the design of randomised controlled trials on the effects of AR training programmes

Relationship between spinal cord injury-related knowledge and health-related quality of life in persons with spinal cord injury

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes dysfunction of many basic functions of a human body (e.g. sensory and motor paralysis) and may result in the occurrence of dangerous health complications (e.g. bedsores) which may contribute to a decrease in the quality of life in individuals with such injuries. In order to adjust to a new situation, persons with SCI have to acquire proper knowledge regarding pathophysiology of SCI, medical and social effects of the injury and, in particular, prevention of post-injury complications. Therefore, this study sought to assess the relationship between knowledge about health status and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in individuals with SCI

INTERnational project for the evaluation of "activE rehabilitation" (inter-PEER): A protocol for a prospective cohort study of community peer-based training programmes for people with spinal cord injury

Background: Active Rehabilitation (AR) is a community peer-based concept for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) that is primarily delivered through brief residential training programmes. Despite a plethora of positive anecdotal evidence of AR programmes as life-changing experiences, the effects of AR-programmes have not been evaluated scientifically. Here, we present the protocol of the INTERnational Project for the Evaluation of "activE Rehabilitation" (inter-PEER) aiming to evaluate the effects of AR training programmes on community-dwelling individuals with SCI. Methods: International prospective cohort study that recruits consecutive participants in AR training programmes. Evaluation is conducted through a web-based survey at 3 time-points: at the commencement and completion of the training programme, and 3 months after the end of the training programme. Evaluation also includes a practical wheelchair skills test at the first two time-points. The primary outcome measures are the Spinal Cord Independence Measure Self-report (SCIM-SR), the Queensland Evaluation of Wheelchair Skills test (QEWS), the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) and the Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES). The secondary outcome measures are the 11-item Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-11), the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-Participation), the Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for people with SCI (LTPAQ-SCI) and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). We piloted the implementation of the protocol in Sweden in 7 participants with diverse SCI and sociodemographic characteristics and collected feedback from participants and peer-mentors about study procedures through interviews, a workshop and field observations. Discussion: Inter-PEER is the first initiative to propose a systematic evaluation of the effects of AR training programmes among individuals with SCI. The project is a collaborative work of multiple stakeholders, including researchers, clinicians, peer mentors with SCI, and administrators of organisations providing AR programmes. The inter-PEER uses standardised outcome measures relevant to the AR context, it will facilitate quality evaluations of community peer-based programmes, stimulate international collaborations, and inform the design of randomised controlled trials on the effects of AR training programmes

Mental Health Status of People with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective. This study assesses and compares the mental health status of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in Poland during the second wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (November 2020) to a similar group whose mental health status was examined in November 2017. It also analyzed the psychological resources such as self-efficacy and health locus of control (HLC) and their relationship to mental health in both groups. Methods. Cross-sectional study included two groups of PwMS with 113 respondents each. The respondents completed the General Health Questionnaire-12 and questionnaires for assessing self-efficacy and HLC. The clinical and demographic data of participants were also collected. Results. No differences in mental health status were observed between the studied groups. A hierarchical regression model of the group studied in 2020 revealed that general self-efficacy (&beta; = &minus;0.21, p = 0.032), HLC&mdash;internal (&beta; = &minus;0.21, p = 0.035), and education (&beta; = &minus;0.18, p = 0.048) explained 18% of the variance in the mental health of PwMS, whereas according to the model of the group assessed in 2017 self-efficacy (&beta; = &ndash;0.31, p &lt; 0.001), HLC&mdash;chance (&beta; = 0.45, p &lt; 0.001), and HLC&mdash;internal (&beta; = &minus;0.37, p &lt; 0.001) explained 48% of the variance. Conclusions. Study results suggest that the pandemic and the related lockdown had no effect on the mental health status of PwMS. At the same time, it was noted that well known determinants of mental health such as self-efficacy and HLC seemed to retain their prominent role for mental functioning in the pandemic