Community reintegration in rehabilitated South Indian persons with spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To explore community reintegration in rehabilitated South Indian persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to compare the level of community reintegration based on demographic variables.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
Rehabilitation center of a tertiary care university teaching hospital.


METHODS
Community-dwelling persons with SCI (N=104).


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART).


RESULTS
The mean scores for each CHART domain were physical independence 98+/-5, social Integration 96+/-11, cognitive independence 92+/-17, occupation 70+/-34, mobility 65+/-18, and economic self sufficiency 53+/-40. Demographic variables showed no statistically significant difference with any of the CHART domains except for age and mobility, level of education, and social integration.


CONCLUSIONS
Persons with SCI in rural South India who have completed comprehensive, mostly self-financed, rehabilitation with an emphasis on achieving functional ambulation, family support, and self-employment and who attend a regular annual follow-up show a high level of community reintegration in physical independence, social integration, and cognitive independence. CHART scores in the domains of occupation, mobility, and economic self-sufficiency showed lower levels of community reintegration.
Samuelkamaleshkumar
Selvaraj
S
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Christian Medical College, Bagayam, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. stopatsams@rediffmail.com
Radhika
Somasundaram
S
Cherian
Binu
B
Elango
Aarumugam
A
Winrose
Windsor
W
Suhany
Baby T
BT
Prakash
M Henry
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007194:India; D008875:Middle Aged; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D055815:Young Adult