Impact of neuropathic pain on participation: perspectives from the Canadian SCI community survey.

Study Design: Secondary analysis of an observational cohort study.

Objectives: To determine if the perceived overall limitation of neuropathic pain on activities (NP limitation) covaries in 26 specific life activities in people with SCI, taking into account the severity of injury.

Setting: Community-based in Canada.

Implementation Evaluation of an Online Peer-Mentor Training Program for Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.

Community-based spinal cord injury (SCI) associations play a critical role in successful community integration of individuals having experienced an SCI, with knowledge translation being increasingly important for the process. The implementation of a new online peer-mentor training program was perceived as being useful in improving and standardizing training practices for peer mentors across Canada. It was also seen as an opportunity to explore the context, process, and influence of a formal implementation process in SCI community-based associations that are corporate members of SCI Canada with a view to informing future implementation efforts.

Perceived influence of intrinsic/extrinsic factors on participation in life activities after spinal cord injury.

Background: Various types of limitations on community participation are experienced by people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objectives: To determine: 1) the perceived influence of six intrinsic/extrinsic factors (i.e.

Quality of Life and Health Utility Scores Among Canadians Living With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury - A National Cross-Sectional Study.

Study Design: National, multicenter, cross-sectional study.

Objective: The goal of this study was to provide overall quality of life (QOL) and health utility (HU) values for patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) stratified by injury level and neurological status.

Summary Of Background Data: Traumatic SCI is a leading cause of disability.

Spinal Cord Injury Peer Mentorship: Applying Self-Determination Theory to Explain Quality of Life and Participation.

Objectives: To investigate the role of spinal cord injury (SCI) peer mentorship on quality of life (QoL)/participation, and test a self-determination theory model that explains the role of SCI peer mentorship on these outcomes.

Design: A static group comparison design.

Setting: Community.

Health Conditions: Effect on Function, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Life Satisfaction After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. A Prospective Observational Registry Cohort Study.

Objective: To analyze relations among injury, demographic, and environmental factors on function, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and life satisfaction in individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Prospective observational registry cohort study.

Setting: Specialized acute and rehabilitation SCI centers.

The Smartphone Peer Physical Activity Counseling (SPPAC) Program for Manual Wheelchair Users: Protocol of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Physical activity (PA) must be performed regularly to accrue health benefits. However, the majority of manual wheelchair users do not meet PA recommendations. Existing community-based PA programs for manual wheelchair users appear to work, but effect sizes are small and retention is low.

Identifying and classifying quality of life tools for neurogenic bladder function after spinal cord injury: A systematic review.

Objective: To identify and classify quality of life (QoL) tools for assessing the influence of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury/disease (SCI).

Design: Systematic Review Methods: Medline/Pubmed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo were searched using terms related to SCI, neurogenic bladder and QoL. Studies that assessed the influence neurogenic bladder on QoL (or related construct) in samples consisting of ≥50% individuals with SCI were included.

Broadening the Conceptualization of Participation of Persons With Physical Disabilities: A Configurative Review and Recommendations.

Within the context of physical disability, participation has typically been conceptualized in terms of one's performance of different roles and activities. This perspective, however, ignores the meanings and satisfactions that a person derives from participating. Without an accepted conceptualization of participation that accounts for people's subjective perceptions and experiences, it is challenging for decision-makers and service providers to design meaningful participation-enhancing services, programs, and policies.

Development and cognitive testing of the Nottwil Environmental Factors Inventory in Canada, Switzerland and the USA.

Objective: To develop and pre-test the Nottwil Environmental Factors Inventory (NEFI), a questionnaire assessing the perceived impact of environmental factors on specific areas of participation (productive life, social life, and community life) experienced by people with spinal cord injury.

Subjects/patients: Thirty-seven participants with spinal cord injury in Canada, Switzerland and the USA.

Methods: A first draft of the NEFI was developed based on a new theoretical model, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for spinal cord injury, and expert consultation.

Peer support need fulfillment among adults with spinal cord injury: relationships with participation, life satisfaction and individual characteristics.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis among people with spinal cord injury (SCI) that greater fulfillment of peer support needs to be associated with greater participation and life satisfaction. A secondary objective was to identify characteristics of people in great need of SCI peer support.

Method: The participants consisted of a population-based sample of 1549 adults with SCI.

Assessing upper extremity capacity as a potential indicator of needs related to household activities for rehabilitation services in people with myotonic dystrophy type 1.

This study aimed to assess upper extremity capacity as a potential indicator of needs related to household activities for rehabilitation services in people with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). A cross-sectional study was set in an outpatient neuromuscular clinic where 200 adults with a confirmed diagnosis of DM1 (121 women; mean age: 47 y) were selected from the registry of a neuromuscular clinic to participate. Housing-related activities were assessed using the "housing" section of the Assessment of Life Habits Questionnaire (LIFE-H).

Neuropathic pain, depression, and cardiovascular disease: a national multicenter study.

Background: Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) have a more than twofold increased risk of heart disease and stroke compared with able-bodied individuals. The increased risk appears to be in excess of the risk conferred by several well-established risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, and sex. This raises the question whether other factors, secondary to SCI, are also contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Identifying and classifying quality of life tools for assessing spasticity after spinal cord injury.

Objective: To identify and classify tools for assessing the influence of spasticity on quality of life (QOL) after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed CINAHL and PsycInfo) were searched for studies published between 1975 and 2012. Dijkers's theoretical framework on QOL was used to classify tools as either objective or subjective measures of QOL.

Understanding Quality of Life in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury Via SCI-Related Needs and Secondary Complications.

Background: Understanding the factors that can predict greater quality of life (QoL) is important for adults with spinal cord injury (SCI), given that they report lower levels of QoL than the general population.

Objectives: To build a conceptual model linking SCI-related needs, secondary complications, and QoL in adults with SCI. Prior to testing the conceptual model, we aimed to develop and evaluate the factor structure for both SCI-related needs and secondary complications.

A life course perspective to spinal cord injury and employment participation in Canada.

Background: Few studies have examined life course differences in the employment of Canadians with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objective: To compare employment participation of young/middle-aged and older adults with SCI and to examine the association between employment and demographic and health factors, SCI-related needs, and social role participation at the 2 life phases.

Methods: A sample of young/middle-aged (18-54 years; n = 959) and older adults (55-64 years; n = 364) with SCI was recruited as part of a larger Canadian community survey.

Self-report of one-year fracture incidence and osteoporosis prevalence in a community cohort of canadians with spinal cord injury.

Background: Sublesional declines in hip and knee region bone mass are a well-established consequence of motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI), placing individuals with SCI at risk for fragility fracture, hospitalization, and fracture-related morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: To describe the 1-year incidence of fracture and osteoporosis prevalence in a community cohort of Canadians with chronic SCI.

Methods: As part of the SCI Community Survey, consenting adult participants with chronic SCI completed an online or telephone survey regarding their self-reported medical comorbidities, including fracture and osteoporosis, in the 12 months prior to survey conduct.

Health care utilization in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury: the importance of multimorbidity and the impact on patient outcomes.

Background: Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in the community have high health care utilization (HCU). To date, the interrelationships among multiple secondary health conditions (multimorbidity due to comorbidities and complications) that drive HCU and their impact on patient outcomes are unknown.

Objective: To determine the association among multimorbidity, HCU, health status, and quality of life.

An Exploratory Analysis of the Potential Association Between SCI Secondary Health Conditions and Daily Activities.

Background: Secondary health conditions (SHCs) are common following traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) and are believed to influence a person's ability to participate in daily activities (DAs). This association should be understood so that health care providers may target interventions with clarity and purpose to manage SHCs and facilitate DAs to maximal effect.

Objective: To explore the association between SHCs and DAs expressed as the increased chance of not participating as much as wanted in a DA when an SHC is present.

Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey: Understanding the Needs of Canadians with SCI.

Background: There is a lack of literature regarding service needs of people with SCI living in the community. Better assessment of expressed and met and unmet needs would help in the development of effective service delivery.

Objective: From a national SCI Community Survey in Canada, the aim was to identify the most critical service needs of people living in the community at least 1 year post discharge from rehabilitation and the support they received to meet their needs.

Spinal cord injury community survey: a national, comprehensive study to portray the lives of canadians with spinal cord injury.

Background: To better understand service-related needs and the current situation of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in the community, a more comprehensive approach for studying their interrelationships (needs vs community living outcomes) is greatly needed.

Objective: To describe the development, design, and findings of a Canadian survey portraying the life situation of people with SCI.

Method: The SCI Community Survey covers demographics, health, SCI-specific needs, community participation, employment, quality of life, health care utilization, and overall health rating.

Impact of pressure ulcers on individuals living with a spinal cord injury.

Objective: To describe the impact of pressure ulcers on the ability to participate in daily and community activities, health care utilization, and overall quality of life in individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Nationwide survey.

Clinical, psychosocial, and central correlates of quality of life in myotonic dystrophy type 1 patients.

Aims: To identify sociodemographic, clinical, and central correlates of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in DM1 patients.

Methods: 200 DM1 patients had assessments of muscular impairment, CTG repeats, and intelligence. Validated instruments were used to assess sociodemographic and clinical factors as well as social support, social participation, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, personality, mood, and quality of life.