Content - Volume 48, Issue 2

Abstract is missing (Guest editorial)

Objective: To detail the protocol, recruitment, study population, response, and data quality of the first population-based community survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury (SwiSCI) Cohort Study. Design: The survey consisted of 3 successive modules administered between September 2011 and March 2013. The first two modules queried demographics, lesion characteristics and key domains of functioning. ...

Objective: Cohort studies are an appropriate method for the collection of population-based longitudinal data to track people’s health and functioning over time. However, describing and understanding functioning in its complexity with all its determinants is one of the biggest challenges faced by clinicians and researchers. Design: This paper focuses on the development of a cohort study on func ...

Objective: To test subgroups of a community-based sample of individuals with spinal cord injury, categorized by the application of current recommendations by the International Spinal Cord Society. Design: Community survey. Participants: Individuals with traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injury residing in Switzerland. Methods: Recommended subgroups of age, gender, years since injury, seve ...

Objective: The Spinal Cord Independence Measure – Self Report (SCIM-SR) is a self-report instrument for assessing functional independence of persons with spinal cord injury. This study examined the internal construct validity and reliability of the SCIM-SR, when administered in a community survey, using the Rasch measurement model. Methods: Rasch analysis of data from 1,549 individuals with sp ...

Objective: To examine the metric properties of the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-Participation) in persons with spinal cord injury in Switzerland from a classical and item response theory perspective. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Subjects: Persons with spinal cord injury living in the Swiss community (n = 1,549). Methods: Score distribution ...

Objective: To evaluate the metric properties of distinct measures of psychological personal factors comprising feelings, beliefs, motives, and patterns of experience and behaviour assessed in the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study (SwiSCI), using Rasch methodology. Methods: SwiSCI Pathway 2 is a community-based, nationwide, cross-sectional survey for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) (n&# ...

Objective: Functioning is an important outcome to measure in cohort studies. Clear and operational outcomes are needed to judge the quality of a cohort study. This paper outlines guiding principles for reporting functioning in cohort studies and addresses some outstanding issues. Design: Principles of how to standardize reporting of data from a cohort study on functioning, by deriving scores that ...

Background: Health conditions in people with spinal cord injury are major determinants for disability, reduced well-being, and mortality. However, population-based evidence on the prevalence and treatment of health conditions in people with spinal cord injury is scarce. Objective: To investigate health conditions in Swiss residents with spinal cord injury, specifically to analyse their prevalenc ...

Objective: To describe the impact of environmental barriers perceived by people living with spinal cord injury in the Swiss community and to compare this across subpopulations. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: A total of 1,549 participants in the community survey of the Swiss spinal cord injury Cohort study. Methods: The perceived impact of environmental barriers on participation was ...

Objective: To describe and explore functioning and health of persons with spinal cord injury from the perspective of psychological-personal factors in the light of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Methods: Data from 511 participants regarding feelings, thoughts and beliefs, motives, and patterns of experience and behaviour were analysed. Mea ...

Objective: To report the main problems in functioning cited by people with spinal cord injury in Switzerland. Study design: Post-coding analysis was conducted based on the open-ended question, “What causes you the most problems since your spinal cord injury?” from the Starter Module of the community survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study, administered between September 2011 and ...