Disability and voting

BackgroundFor millions of people with disabilities in the United States, exercising the fundamental right to vote remains a challenge. Over the last few decades, the U.S. government has enacted several pieces of legislation to make voting accessible to individuals with disabilities.ObjectiveWe examine trends in self-reported voting rates among people with and without disabilities to uncover evidence for the effects of these policies on political participation. We also explore what policy change is necessary to encourage people with disabilities to vote by investigating whether the participation rates vary by the types of disabilities.MethodsWe analyze the Current Population Survey (CPS) data in the years of presidential elections for the period of 1980–2008.ResultsOur analysis shows that the population aged 18–64 with work-preventing disabilities has been persistently less likely to vote compared to the corresponding population without such disabilities. In addition, individuals with cognitive and mobility impairments have the lowest rates of electoral participation. The gap in the likelihood of voting in-person between people with and without disabilities is considerably larger than the gap in the likelihood of voting by-mail, regardless of the types of impairments that they have.ConclusionsThe participation gap between people with and without disabilities did not decrease over the last three decades despite the presence of federal laws that aimed at removing barriers for voting.     

Trends in U.S. adult chronic disability rates over time

BackgroundTrends in the patterns and prevalence of chronic disability among U.S. residents carry important implications for public health and public policies across multiple societal sectors.ObjectivesTo examine trends in U.S. adult population rates of chronic disability from 1998 to 2011 using 7 different disability measures and examining the implications of trends in population age, race and ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI).MethodsWe used National Health Interview Survey data on civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. residents ages ≥18 from selected years between 1998 and 2011. We used self-reported information on functional impairments, activity/participation limitations, and expected duration to create 7 chronic disability measures. We used direct standardization to account for changes in age, race/ethnicity, and BMI distributions over time. Multivariable logistic regression models identified associations of disability with sociodemographic characteristics.ResultsWithout adjustment, population rates of all 7 disabilities increased significantly (p < 0.0001) from 1998 to 2011. The absolute percentage change was greatest for movement difficulties: 19.3% in 1998 and 23.3% in 2011. After separate adjustments for trends in age, race/ethnicity, and BMI distributions, 6 disability types continued to show increased rates over time (p < 0.01), except for sensory disabilities. Over time, poor education, poverty, and unemployment remained significantly associated with disability.ConclusionsIf these trends continue, the numbers and proportions of U.S. residents with various disabilities will continue rising in coming years. In particular, the prevalence of movement difficulties and work limitations will increase. Furthermore, disability will remain strongly associated with low levels of education, employment, and income.     

Comment droit et éthique s’enrichissent mutuellement dans la prise en charge médicale des personnes avec handicap

Whatever his or her disability, a person has the right to medical care of the same quality as any other patient. The law tries to meet the needs of vulnerable people, regardless of their situation. For example, a minor, disabled or not, may seek a treatment while preserving confidentiality regarding his/her parents. Privacy is a concept that does not begin at 18. In France, the law of 4 March 2002 already addressed this hypothesis; the law of 26 January 2016 modernizing our health system extended it. An adult, disabled or not, may need help not only for administrative and financial procedures, but also for medical or medicosocial matters. The law offers various support solutions with the family, guardian, support person, relatives, caregivers, attorneys involved with a mandate for future protection. In medical practice, a number of situations, simple in theory, can be very problematic. The ethical approach will be essential to help deal with all these questions.     

Leisure participation for school-aged children with Down syndrome

Purpose.?To describe leisure participation for school-aged children with Down syndrome and to investigate how factors, classified by the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, influence their leisure participation.

Method.?Families in Western Australia with a child aged 5–18 years with Down syndrome were surveyed in a population-based study (n == 208) in 2004.

Results.?One-third of parents reported that their child with Down syndrome had no friends although half reported two or more friends. Factors affecting number of friendships included the child's functional ability, behavioural issues and parent's availability of time. Those children with higher functional independence scores in daily tasks were more likely to have two or more friends than those with lower functional independence scores (OR: 1.02, 95%% CI 1.01–1.04 for a single point increase in WeeFIM score). All children participated in predominantly solitary and sedentary leisure activities.

Conclusions.?Leisure participation was affected by complex factors both within and external to the child with Down syndrome. Further investigation of the relevance of these factors to leisure may enable more satisfying and meaningful participation in leisure for school-aged children with Down syndrome.     

皮质骨轨迹螺钉固定在合并骨质疏松腰椎退行性疾病手术中应用的效果

【摘要】 目的：探讨皮质质骨轨迹（cortical bone trajectory，CBT）螺钉与椎弓根螺钉（pedicle screw，PS）固定在腰椎退行性疾病合并骨质疏松手术中应用的效果及并发症发生情况。方法：按照非劣性检验标准估算样本量，经伦理委员会批准，前瞻性纳入2019年3月~2020年6月我院收治的124例腰椎退行性疾病患者，并平均随机分配到CBT组与PS组，分别进行后路腰椎减压单节段CBT螺钉固定与PS固定椎间融合术，经过至少2年随访。主要观测指标为椎间融合率；次要观测指标为术前、术后3个月、术后1年及末次随访时腰背与下肢疼痛视觉模拟评分（visual analogue scale，VAS）、Oswestry残障指数（Oswestry disability index，ODI）和日本骨科协会（Janpanese Orthopedics Association，JOA）评分，手术相关参数（手术时间、切口长度、术中失血量和术后引流量）及术中、术后并发症发生率，对两组数据进行组间与组内对比分析。结果：最终CBT组共有58例、PS组56例完成随访。两组患者在年龄、性别、随访时间、吸烟状况、体重指数、骨密度及手术节段分布方面无显著性差异（P>0.05）。术后1年，CBT组45例（77.59%）、PS组42例（75.00%）患者实现了椎间融合，两组之间无显著性差异（P=0.745）。每组术后3个月、1年及末次随访时的VAS评分、ODI及JOA评分较术前均有明显改善（P<0.05）；术前VAS评分、ODI及JOA评分两组比较均无统计学差异，术后3个月CBT组的ODI及JOA评分均优于PS组（P<0.05），术后3个月、术后1年及末次随访时的VAS评分及术后1年、末次随访时的ODI及JOA评分两组间均无统计学差异（P>0.05）。CBT组的手术时间、术中出血量、切口长度和术后引流量均优于PS组（P<0.05）。两组硬膜撕裂、神经根损伤和手术部位感染发生率相似。术后CT显示螺钉误置，CBT组发生率为2.16%（5/232枚），PS组为1.34%（3/224枚），组间无统计学差异（P=0.724）。CBT组共有2枚螺钉（0.89%）出现松动并在CT扫描图像上出现移位，发生率低于PS组（10/224，4.46%）（P=0.034）。CBT组58例患者中共有3例（5.17%）出现并发症，PS组56例患者中共有9例（16.07%）出现并发症，PS组总体并发症发生率较高（P=0.041）。结论：CBT螺钉固定在合并骨质疏松腰椎退行性疾病患者行单节段固定融合手术时可获得较PS固定更加优秀的短期功能恢复，以及相似的临床效果和椎间融合。CBT螺钉固定用于合并骨质疏松的腰椎疾病人群的手术治疗是较PS内固定有效且更优的替代选择。