title: Predicting community reintegration after spinal cord injury from demographic and injury characteristics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the influence of demographic and injury characteristics on the community reintegration of people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cross-sectional and longitudinal examination of individuals with SCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follow-up of individuals at 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years after SCI who received their initial rehabilitation in a Regional Model Spinal Cord Injury System.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3,835 individuals who met the inclusion criteria for the National SCI Database were studied cross-sectionally, and a subset of 347 individuals who were also enrolled in a longitudinal study of aging with SCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subscales of the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neurologic classification, age, years postinjury, gender, ethnicity, and education explain 29% of the variance in physical independence, 29% of the variance in mobility, 28% of the variance in occupation. 9% of the variance in social integration, and 18% of the variance in economic self-sufficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although these factors are inadequate to explain most of the variation in community reintegration (handicap) after SCI, they might appropriately be used to adjust for case-mix differences when comparing rehabilitation facilities and techniques.
authors.affiliation: Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO 80110, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Whiteneck
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charlifue
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012107:Research Design; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation