Sports, recreation and employment following spinal cord injury - a pilot study

Study design: 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. Setting: National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, UK. Methods: Forty-live subjects, who met the following criteria: SCI at level C5 or below, wheelchair dependent, aged between Is 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. Sponsorship: The study was partly funded by the British Council.