title: Sports, recreation and employment following spinal cord injury--a pilot study.
abstract: METHODS
  A pilot postal survey.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the levels of sporting/recreational activities, education and employment in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to assess if involvement in sport and recreation is associated with higher levels of education and employment.
  
  
  METHODS
  National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five subjects, who met the following criteria: SCI at level C5 or below, wheelchair dependent, aged between 18 and 50 at the time of injury, injured at least 10 years ago, admitted to the NSIC within 6 months of injury and resident in the UK, completed a 26-item postal questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 45 subjects 47% participated in physical activities (20% in sport; 27% in recreation), 33% were employed (29% full-time) and 18.5% had undergone further education at the time of the survey. Participation in sports as well as employment status decreased after injury (P<0.01) usually as a result of poor access to sports and work facilities. Only 4% of investigated SCI patients started to practise physical activity after the accident whilst 42% stopped.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levels of sporting/recreational activities and employment decreased significantly after injury. No significant correlation was found between sport/recreation involvement and education/employment status. Further investigation with a large number of participants that will enable additional analysis of subgroups, such as level of injury and functional independence, is required.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rehabilitation, University School of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tasiemski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bergström
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savic
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011998:Recreation; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires