Perceived Environmental Barriers in the Community for people with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the environmental barriers in the community for people with spinal cord injury. Objective: To identify the environmental barriers in the community using the CHIEF Score. Methodology: The study design was cross-sectional. A total of 60 samples were selected conveniently for this study from the community. Data were collected through a written questionnaire, which consisted of two parts: socio-demographic information and the CHIEF Score. Descriptive statistics using SPSS software version 25 were used for data analysis. Results: The mean age of participants was 44.15 years. Females comprised 23%, while males made up 77%. Among the participants, 25% were job holders, 18.33% were businessmen, and 56.7% were in other professions. Regarding education, 40% had primary education, 18.33% had SSC qualifications, 25% had HSC qualifications, 5% were graduates, and 1.70% had postgraduate degrees. Additionally, 10% of participants were illiterate. Among the participants, 38.33% had an income of less than 10,000 BDT, 50% earned between 10,000–25,000 BDT, 10% earned between 25,000–50,000 BDT, and 1.70% earned more than 50,000 BDT. The mean CHIEF score was 19.20, with a standard deviation of 8.038. The standard deviation and mean scores of CHIEF subdomains were as follows: transportation (2.57±1.267), natural environment (1.42±0.944), surrounding (1.30±0.926), information (1.08±0.889), medical care (1.65±0.633), help at home (1.15±1.055), help at work/school (0.87±0.911), attitude at home (1.00±0.939), attitude at work (0.68±0.813), discrimination (0.93±0.821), business policies (0.75±0.836), and government policies (0.85±0.954). In this study, the p-values for gender, age, occupation, educational status, and monthly income were not significant, indicating no significant correlation between socio-demographic factors and environmental barriers. The study provides an overall view of environmental barriers and socio-demographic information. It also examines the correlation of environmental barriers using the CHIEF score. The findings highlight the challenges faced by individuals with spinal cord injuries and emphasize the need for improved accessibility and support systems. Key words: Environmental, barrier, spinal cord injury, CHIEF