Wheelchair Skills Capacity and Performance of Manual Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the wheelchair skills capacity and performance of experienced manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to assess measurement properties of the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) and Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q).


METHODS
Cross-sectional descriptive study involving within-subject comparisons.


METHODS
Four Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems centers.


METHODS
Manual wheelchair users with SCI (N=117).


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
WST and WST-Q version 4.2 as well as measures for Confidence, Basic Mobility, Independence, Ability to Participate, Satisfaction, and Pain Interference.


RESULTS
The median (interquartile range) values for WST capacity, WST-Q capacity, and WST-Q performance were 81.0% (69.0%-90.0%), 88.0% (77.0%-97.0%), and 76.0% (66.3%-84.0%). The total WST capacity scores correlated significantly with the total WST-Q capacity scores (r=.76; P<.01) and WST-Q performance scores (r=.55; P<.01). The total WST-Q capacity and WST-Q performance scores were correlated significantly (r=.63; P<.001). Success rates were <75% for 10 of the 32 (31%) individual skills on the WST and 6 of the 32 (19%) individual skills on the WST-Q. Regression models for the total WST and WST-Q measures identified statistically significant predictors including age, sex, body mass index, and/or level of injury. The WST and WST-Q measures correlated significantly with the Confidence, Basic Mobility, Independence, or Pain Interference measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Many people with SCI are unable to or do not perform some of the wheelchair skills that would allow them to participate more fully. More wheelchair skills training may enhance participation and quality of life of adults with SCI. The WST and WST-Q exhibit good content, construct, and concurrent validity.
Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. Electronic address: kirby@dal.ca.
R Lee
RL
Kirby
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Lynn A
LA
Worobey
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, FL.
Rachel
R
Cowan
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Jessica Presperin
JP
Pedersen
School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
Allen W
AW
Heinemann
Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ.
Trevor A
TA
Dyson-Hudson
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange, NJ.
Mary
M
Shea
Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, NS.
Cher
C
Smith
School of Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Paula W
PW
Rushton
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Michael L
ML
Boninger
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D058992:Social Participation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014910:Wheelchairs
Motor skills; Rehabilitation; Spinal cord injuries; Wheelchairs