Cross-sectional study by mail survey of participation in productive activities of individuals who sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) in Quebec from 1970 to 1993.
To determine the level of productivity outcomes of a representative sample and to determine the relationship between the productivity outcomes and some personal and environmental variables.
Quebec, Canada.
Four hundred and eighteen subjects (mean of age=42.1+/-11. 8) were included in this study. Overall productivity was assessed by the participation into five categories of activities (gainful employment, studies, homemaking and family activities, community organizations and leisure activities).
Depending on the severity of injury, 30% to 51% of the variance in productivity outcomes can be explained by a set of ten variables: education, ability to drive a car vehicle, other transportation indices, age related variables and type of locomotion. A discriminant analysis was undertaken to classify the subjects into three levels of productivity (low, moderate and high). The percentage of subjects correctly classified was moderate (54% to 71%) to high (72% to 81%) depending on the productivity levels.
The results confirm the significant contribution of education and transportation to explain the productivity outcomes.
This project was funded by the 'Société d'Assurance Automobile du Québec', the 'Commission de la Santé et de la Sécurité du Travail' and the 'Fondation André Senécal'.
