Article

The aim of this study was to determine the rate of employment and to establish
the factors affecting vocational status in spinal cord injured patients living in
Turkey. One hundred and fifty-two traumatic spinal cord injured patients older
than 18 years with injury duration of at least 1 year and living in the community
were included in the study ; homemakers were not taken into consideration. The
demographic and clinical data were retrieved from the medical records. The
patients were interviewed with a structured questionnaire about the employment
status at the time of the injury and after the injury, seeking a job after the
injury, possible causes for unemployment, educational activities after the
injury, and being a member of a social association. Descriptive statistics,
Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson's chi test were used to analyze the results. The
rate of employment was 21% among this group of spinal cord injured patients.
Female sex, young age at the time of the injury, longer time since injury, higher
educational level, being educated after injury, and being a member of a social
association have positive effects on vocational outcome ; age at the time of the
study and severity and level of the lesion did not affect employment. According
to the results of this study, the employment rates after spinal cord injury are
low in Turkey. There is a need to maximize the employment capacity. Social and
educational activities after injury should be encouraged during rehabilitation.

Langue : ANGLAIS