Facilitators and barriers of people with spinal cord injury returning to work

Abstract

Background: A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the bundle of nerves and nerve fibers that sends and receives signals from the brain. Returning to work after a spinal cord injury (SCI) is crucial for enhancing quality of life, social inclusion, and financial independence. Identifying these factors is essential for developing effective support strategies and policies that enhance employment outcomes for this population. Objective: To find out the barriers and facilitators to return to work for the people with Spinal Cord Injury, to identify the socio-demographic information, to explore the injury related status, to evaluate functional status, to find out the association between socio- demographic and different barriers and facilitators related information. Methods: The study was cross-sectional. Total 107 samples were selected conveniently for this study from the CRP Savar and community of savar. Data was collected by using self structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistic was used for data analysis which focused through table, pie chart and bar chart. Data was analyzed through SPSS 2 version. Result: Among participants, 99.1% had paraplegia, with the primary causes of injury being falls (45.7%) and road traffic accidents (32.6%). The most common neurological levels of injury were thoracic (47.3%) and lumbar (25%). Key complications included bowel and bladder problems (57.9%) and pressure sores (20.6%). Barriers to returning to work were transportation (90.7%), economic challenges (86.9%), disability-related issues (86.9%), and physical conditions (85%). Facilitators included education (65.4%), psychological resilience (67.3%), supportive social relationships (63.6%), and a conducive environment (54.2%). Chi-square analysis revealed significant associations between variables such as age, marital status, and educational status with outcomes like economic status, social life, and physical conditions, highlighting their influence on return-to-work factors, while gender and residential area showed no significant impact. Conclusion: The study underscores key barriers like transportation, economic challenges, and disability-related issues that hinder return-to-work for individuals with SCI, alongside prevalent complications such as bowel and bladder issues. Facilitators, including family support, confidence, education, and psychological resilience, play a positive role. Keywords: Barriers, Facilitators, Returning to Work, Spinal Cord Injury.