A brief fall prevention intervention for manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries: A pilot study |
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| Authors: | Laura A. Rice Jong Hun Sung Kathleen Keane Elizabeth Peterson Jacob J. Sosnoff |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA ricela@illinois.edu;3. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA;4. Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA;5. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA;6. Center on Health, Aging and Disability, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA |
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| Abstract: | Objective: To conduct a pilot study of an intervention to decrease fall incidence and concerns about falling among individuals living with Spinal Cord Injury who use manual wheelchairs full-time. Design: Pre/post. After a baseline assessment, a structured intervention was implemented. The assessment protocol was repeated 12 weeks after the baseline assessment. Setting: Research laboratory and community. Participants: 18 individuals living with SCI who use a manual wheelchair full-time with an average age of 35.78?±?13.89 years, lived with SCI for 17.06?±?14.6 years; 61.1% were female. Intervention: A 1:1, 45 minute, in-person intervention focused on factors associated with falls and concerns about falling: transfers skills and seated postural control. Outcome measures: Participants reported fall incidence and completed the Spinal Cord Injury Fall Concerns Scale, Community Participation Indicators and the World Health Organization Quality of Life – short version (WHOQOL-BREF). Transfer quality was assessed with the Transfer Assessment Instrument (TAI) and seated postural control with the Function In Seating Test (FIST). Results: Recruitment, assessment and delivery of the intervention were successfully completed. After exposure to the intervention, fall incidence significantly decreased, (P?=?0.047, dz ?=?0.507) and FIST scores improved (P?=?0.035, dz? =?0.54). Significant improvements were also found in the WHOQOL-BREF Physical (P?=?0.05, dz ?=?1.566) and Psychological (P?=?0.040, dz ?=?0.760) domains. Conclusion: The feasibility of the structured intervention was established and the intervention has the potential to reduce fall incidence and improve quality of life among individuals living with SCI who use a wheelchair. Appropriately powered randomized controlled trials of the program are warranted. |
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| Keywords: | Accidental falls Spinal cord injury Wheelchair |
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