Access to the environment and life satisfaction after spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the potential relation between satisfaction with life after spinal cord injury and access to the environment as measured by selected items from the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART).


METHODS
Prospective, correlational/predictive study using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 18 Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems of Care.


METHODS
Adult persons with traumatic-onset spinal cord injury (n = 650) evaluated at 1 or 2 years postinjury.


METHODS
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS).


METHODS
Demographic characteristics, impairment and disability classifications. medical complications, rehabilitation insurance status, occupational status as measured by the CHART Occupation Scale, self-perceived health (from SF-36), and access to the environment as measured by items from the CHART Mobility Scale.


RESULTS
Access to the environment was positively and linearly associated with satisfaction with life, demonstrated both positive and negative change over time, and was positively associated with subject's neurologic status. Access to the environment added to the explanatory model to predict life satisfaction even after all other independent measures were accounted for.


CONCLUSIONS
Access to the environment (an "outside the person" factor) is important in predicting satisfaction with life for persons with spinal cord injury. The measure of access to the environment developed here is promising and worthy of further exploration and expansion.
Richards
J S
JS
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35233-7330, USA.
Bombardier
C H
CH
Tate
D
D
Dijkers
M
M
Gordon
W
W
Shewchuk
R
R
DeVivo
M J
MJ
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004777:Environment; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States