Exploring the Quality of Life of People with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Who Can Ambulate

Murveena Jeawon, Bethany Hase, Susanna Miller, Janice Eng, Andrea Bundon, Habib Chaudhury, Jocelyn Maffin, Ryan Clarkson, Jenna Wright and W. Ben Mortenson ()
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Murveena Jeawon: Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
Bethany Hase: Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
Susanna Miller: Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
Janice Eng: GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2G9, Canada
Andrea Bundon: International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
Habib Chaudhury: Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3, Canada
Jocelyn Maffin: Spinal Cord Injury—British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6P 5Y7, Canada
Ryan Clarkson: Spinal Cord Injury—British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6P 5Y7, Canada
Jenna Wright: Spinal Cord Injury—British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6P 5Y7, Canada
W. Ben Mortenson: Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada

Disabilities, 2023, vol. 3, issue 4, 1-22

Abstract: (1) Purpose: To examine associations between subjective quality of life and other socio-demographic variables and to explore differences in experiences of people with different levels of quality of life (low, moderate, high). (2) Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews and standardized measures of mobility, function, health-related quality-of-life, and quality-of-life were used to collect the data for this mixed-method study. (3) Results: Twenty-four participants were interviewed with an average age of 55 years and 54% were male. High quality of life, according to quantitative analysis, was strongly associated with being male, attending rehabilitation, and being married. The qualitative findings supported the quantitative findings and also revealed that people with a low quality of life felt the neighborhood-built environment was not supportive of people with incomplete spinal cord injury who can walk. Participants who reported a low/moderate quality of life reported feeling devalued by able-bodied people and that their mobility was getting worse over time. (4) Conclusion: Findings suggest that those with incomplete spinal cord injuries who can walk could benefit from improved quality of life by modifying their social support and neighborhood’s built environment. For instance, sensitivity training for the general population could help to reduce negative attitudes and misperceptions about invisible impairments and promote inclusion.

Keywords: quality of life; experiences; invisible impairments; social scrutiny; excluded; resilience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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