QOL IN SCI · Evaluation of quality of life in people with spinal cord injuries in Poland on the eve of integration with the European Union
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2004-03-15 → 2005-03-14
- EU contribution
- €40,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- EIF
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Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - QOL in SCI (Evaluation of quality of life in people with spinal cord injuries in Poland on the eve of integration with the European Union)
Objectives The main aim of the project was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Poland on the eve of integration with the European Union. Method 1.214 randomly selected people with SCI (84.5% men) who met the following criteria: SCI at level C5 or below, wheelchair dependent (ASIA grade: A, B or C), aged between 18 and 50 at the time of injury, injured at least 1 year prior to the study, admitted to the rehabilitation centre within 6 months of injury and resident in Poland, participated in the study. The measures used included: The Sports Participation Questionnaire, The Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and The Athletic Identity Measurement Scale. Results The mean score for participants with SCI happiness (life as a whole) was 3.72 i.e. between 'rather satisfying' and 'satisfying'. The highest level of satisfaction existed within two social domains: family life (4.39) and contacts with friends and acquaintances (4.37). In contrast, the lowest level of satisfaction was found in regard to the participants' vocational situation (2.43), financial situation (2.60), and sexual life (2.67). Employment rate (full-time or part-time) amongst participants was 23.5% and the main reason for being unemployed was lack of accessible work places. Significant differences were found between general (total) life satisfaction and nine independent variables: participation in sports, marital status, level of injury, employment, education, age at the time of injury, hours of help needed from other people, anxiety and depression. 66.4% of the respondents with SCI hopes that their situation, especially access to public places and transportation, will get better as the result of integration between Poland and the EU. 5.3% of participants had fears that integration with the EU would cause increase of cost of living and decrease governmental support for people with disabilities. Conclusion Subjective QOL (life satisfaction) of people with SCI in Poland on the eve of integration with the EU is lower in comparison to people with SCI living in other European countries (e.g. Sweden and UK). Also objective components of QOL in SCI in Poland (e.g. employment rate) are much lower in comparison to other EU countries (23.5% in Poland versus 36.1% in the UK). Most of participants with SCI hope that integration with the UE will bring them many positive changes but a lot of areas that need improvement were identified by this study.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Background The improvement of quality of life (QOL) is an essential aspect of rehabilitation. Life satisfaction is the subjective component of QOL. The level of QOL or life satisfaction and factors associated with perceived QOL for spinal cord injured (SCI) people have been established on the basis of SCI samples from the USA and from EU Member States. To date nothing has been published in the English literature regarding QOL of SCI people in the Associated Candidate Countries e.g. Poland.ObjectivesTo first assess subjective life satisfaction (global life satisfaction and satisfaction with life domains) in relation to objective QOL in a community sample of SCI people in Poland, second identify factors associated with life satisfaction in SCI and third evaluate participants' attitude towards integration with the EU.SettingThree or more rehabilitation centres in Poland, including the Specialist Rehabilitation Centre in Konstancin-Jeziorna, the Rehabilitation Centre Reply" in Reply Slake and the Orthopaedic-Rehabilitation Hospital in Poznan.ParticipantsApproximately 1,000 SCI people who meet the following criteria: injured at level C5 or below; wheelchair dependent (ASIA grade: A, B or C); aged 18-50 at the time of injury; injured at least 1 year prior to the study; admitted to the rehabilitation centre within 6 months of injury; resident in Poland.ProcedureParticipants will be sent a package that includes a letter of explanation, a consent form, a questionnaire booklet and a stamped addressed envelope. 4-6 weeks after sending out the original questionnaire a reminder package will be posted to all of the participants who have not responded to the first letter. Measures28-item questionnaire about sports/recreation and education/employment status, the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale."
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- AKADEMIA WYCHOWANIA FIZYCZNEGO · POZNANCoordinatorCity levelPoland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union