Abstract
Study design:
Data were collected via a cross-sectional mailed survey with Veterans with spinal cord injury and disorders (SCI/D).
Objectives:
To examine self-efficacy in Veterans with SCI/D reporting high versus low perceptions of physical function.
Setting:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Spinal Cord Injury System of Care—nation-wide, 24 Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Centers.
Methods:
The survey provided patient-reported data on demographic and injury characteristics, basic mobility and fine motor function, and perceived self-efficacy. Bivariate comparisons were conducted to compare perceptions of self-efficacy between Veterans with SCI/D reporting perceptions of ‘high’ versus ‘low’ basic mobility and fine motor function. A multivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify factors independently associated with high physical function when controlling for covariates.
Results:
Response rate (896/1452=61.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that age (odds ratio (OR)=0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96–1.00, P=0.03), tetraplegia (OR=0.20, 95% CI: 0.13–0.32, P⩽0.0001), diabetes (OR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.31–0.91, P=0.02), depression (OR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.39–0.98, P=0.04) and pressure ulcers (OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.25–0.72, P=0.001) were all independently associated with lower odds of high physical function. When controlling for covariates, persons with high self-efficacy were nearly two times more likely to have high physical function (OR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.22–3.22, P=0.01).
Conclusion:
Lower perceptions of basic mobility and fine motor function among individuals with SCI/D were correlated with lower self-efficacy, even when controlling for other covariates. The relationship between physical function and self-efficacy suggests that interventions focused on improving self-efficacy or physical function may also see improvements in the other. Further, studies exploring the impact of interventions on the relationship between self-efficacy and physical function are needed to understand the relationship between the two.
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Acknowledgements
The data presented in this manuscript have not been published and will not be submitted elsewhere for publication while being considered in this journal. Data on this study were accepted as a platform presentation and will be presented, in part, at the 2016 Paralyzed Veterans of America 6th Annual Summit and Expo on 1 September 2016 in Orlando, Florida. This study was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research and Development, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (RRP 13-248, PI: LaVela). The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government.
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Hill, J., Etingen, B., Miskevics, S. et al. Correlates of self-reported physical function in individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders: does self-efficacy matter?. Spinal Cord 55, 1096–1102 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2017.35
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2017.35
