Manual wheelchair skill influences social participation

Main Category: Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 17 Sep 2005 - 11:00 PDT

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This study describes the relationship between manual wheelchair skill and social participation in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) one year after injury.

Eighty-one persons with SCI in the Netherlands performed a wheelchair- skills test.

Social participation was moderately related to the number of wheelchair tasks that a person could perform and to the amount of time and physical strain required to perform these tasks, with the strongest association for performance time.

Investigators conclude that wheelchair-skills training must be a top rehabilitation goal and that maintenance of those skills following discharge from rehabilitation should be encouraged.

About the Journal

JRRD has been a leading research journal in the field of rehabilitation medicine and technology for over 40 years. JRRD, a peer-reviewed, scientifically indexed journal, publishes original research papers, review articles, as well as clinical and technical commentary from U.S. and international researchers on all rehabilitation research disciplines. JRRD's mission is to responsibly evaluate and disseminate scientific research findings impacting the rehabilitative healthcare community. For more information about JRRD, visit http://www.vard.org .

The current issue of the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) is dedicated to spinal cord injury and wheelchair technology. Full-text articles are available, free, online at http://www.vard.org.

Judith LaVoie
judith@vard.org
410-962-1800 x 229
VA Research Communications Service
http://www.vard.org

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