title: The differences in self-esteem, function, and participation between adults with low cervical motor tetraplegia who use power or manual wheelchairs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the differences between manual and power wheelchair users in terms of self-esteem, function, and participation in persons with a similar motor level of spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross-sectional study with a single data collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  General community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N=30) were a convenience sample of adults with self-reported C6 and C7 tetraplegia caused by SCI who are 1 or more years postinjury. Eighteen were manual chair users, and 12 were power chair users.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM III) as a measure of function, and the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) as a measure of participation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between manual and power chair users regarding age, time since injury, or length of initial rehabilitation stay. A significant difference was seen between wheelchair groups (F=2.677, P=.038). Multivariate analysis showed the differences to be in the SCIM III (F=11.088, P=.003) and the CHART subcategories Physical (F=7.402, P=.011), Mobility (F=12.894, P=.001), and Occupation (F=5.174, P=.031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Manual wheelchair users demonstrated better physical function, mobility, and had a higher employment rate than power wheelchair users based on the SCIM III and CHART in this sample of adults with C6 or C7 motor level tetraplegia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA 98416-1070, USA. jhastings@pugetsound.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.forename: Hillary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robins
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012649:Self Concept; D058992:Social Participation; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014910:Wheelchairs / Q000145:classification*