Table 1 Means, adjusted mean differences (md, 95% CI) and adjusted p values for differences by age, gender and injury characteristics in m-SCIM-SR total score for functional independence, number of moderate to extreme activity/participation problems, NEFI-S score for environmental barriers to participation and number of health conditions.

From: Australian arm of the International Spinal Cord Injury (Aus-InSCI) Community Survey: 2. Understanding the lived experience in people with spinal cord injury

 

m-SCIM-SR total score

No. of activity/participation problems

NEFI-S score

No. of health conditions

(range 0–100)

(moderate–extreme)

(range 0–100)

(mild–extreme)

 

mean

md (95% CI)

mean

md (95% CI)

mean

md (95% CI)

mean

md (95% CI)

Mobility category

 Ambulant

82

ref

3.7

ref

24.7

ref

7.4

ref

 Motorised or assisted WC

29

−48 (−52, −45)

5

1.4 (0.9, 2.0)***

43.6

19 (15, 23)***

9.1

1.6 (1.1, 2.2)***

 Self-operated manual WC

63

−20 (−23, −17)

3.4

0.02 (−0.5, 0.5)

36.7

11 (8, 15)***

8.1

0.7 (0.2, 1.2)**

 p value

 

–

 

<0.0001

 

<0.0001

 

<0.0001

Injury level and extent

 Complete tetraplegia

27

ref

4.5

ref

42.3

ref

9.1

ref

 Complete paraplegia

60

35 (29, 41)***

3.7

−1.0 (−1.7, −0.3)**

36.9

−5.1 (−9.5, −0.6)*

8.2

−0.9 (−1.6, −0.3)**

 Incomplete tetraplegia

57

32 (26, 38)***

4.3

−0.4 (−1.1, 0.3)

33

−9.0 (−14, −4.6)***

8.4

−0.6 (−1.2, 0.04)

 Incomplete paraplegia

73

51 (45, 57)***

3.8

−1.1 (−1.8, −0.4)**

31.7

−11 (−16, −6)***

7.7

−1.4 (−2.0, −0.7)***

 p value

 

<0.0001

 

0.0003

 

<0.0001

 

<0.0001

Cause of injury

 Non-traumatic

63

ref

4.4

ref

34.7

ref

7.9

ref

 Traumatic

61

−2.7 (−7.2, 1.8)

3.8

−0.5 (−1.0, −0.02)*

33.4

−1.9 (−5.1, 1.3)

8.1

−0.09 (−0.6, 0.4)

 p value

 

0.2

 

0.04

 

0.2

 

0.7

Injury duration

 Up to 5 years

66

−2.7 (−5.8, 0.4)

4

0.4 (−0.2, 1.0)

31.7

3.0 (−0.4, 6.5)

7.7

−0.14 (−0.66, 0.38)

 6–15 years

61

−5.3 (−8.1, -2.6)***

3.9

0.3 (−0.2, 0.9)

34.7

3.9 (0.8, 6.9)*

8.2

0.08 (−0.4, 0.6)

 16–25 years

62

−1.0 (−4.2, 2.3)

4.1

0.4 (−0.2, 1.0)

34.3

2.4 (−1.2, 6.0)

8.2

0.0 (−0.6, 0.6)

 26+ years

59

ref

3.7

ref

32.7

ref

8.2

ref

 p value

 

0.0005

 

0.4

 

0.09

 

0.8

Gender

 Female

59

ref

4.4

ref

36.1

ref

7.9

ref

 Male

62

3.2 (0.9, 5.6)**

3.8

−0.5 (−0.9, −0.06)*

32.6

−3.3 (−5.9, −0.7)*

8.1

0.2 (−0.2, 0.6)

 p value

 

0.006

 

0.02

 

0.01

 

0.3

Age group

 18–30 years

58

11 (5.2, 18)***

3.2

−0.6 (−1.7, 0.5)

38.5

11 (4, 18)**

7.3

−0.06 (−1.1, 1.0)

 31–45 years

64

10 (5.6, 15)***

4.1

0.5 (−0.3, 1.4)

36.4

12 (6, 18)***

8.4

1.0 (0.1, 1.9)*

 46–60 years

62

7.4 (3.0, 12)***

4.2

0.8 (0.05, 1.6)*

35.7

13 (8, 18)***

8.4

1.1 (0.3, 1.9)**

 61–75 years

61

5.7 (1.4, 10)***

3.7

0.2 (−0.6, 1.0)

31.8

8 (3, 13)***

7.8

0.4 (−0.4, 1.2)

 76+ years

59

ref

3.7

ref

23.7

ref

7.4

ref

 p value

 

<0.0001

 

0.003

 

<0.0001

 

0.0003

  1. CI confidence interval, md mean difference (adjusted), mod moderate, NEFI-S Nottwil Environmental Factors Inventory Short Form, m-SCIM-SR modified version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure for Self-Report, ref reference category.
  2. The overall p values shown are from type-III F tests for any difference in mean outcome among categories of each characteristic.
  3. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 for individual difference against the reference categories.
  4. p values for age are adjusted for sex, duration, cause, level and completeness and mobility category.
  5. p values for sex are adjusted for age, duration, cause, level and completeness and mobility category.
  6. p values for injury duration are adjusted for age, sex, cause, level and completeness and mobility category.
  7. p values for cause of injury are adjusted for age, sex, duration.
  8. p values for lesion level and completeness adjusted for age, sex, duration and cause.
  9. p values for mobility category adjusted for age, sex, duration, cause, lesion level and completeness.
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