Public Health Research

KEY FINDING: Assault is the leading cause of traumatic SCI in Gauteng, with a disproportionately high rate compared to global statistics.

KEY FINDING: Older chronological age was consistently associated with a decline in functioning for paraplegia but not for tetraplegia in countries with representative samples.

KEY FINDING: Financial hardship and lower subjective social status were associated with poorer health outcomes in four out of five indicators in the total sample.

KEY FINDING: The age-adjusted incidence of NTSCI increased from 24.11 per million in 2007 to 39.83 per million in 2020.

KEY FINDING: Individuals from urban area codes reported a greater magnitude of perceived barriers on the policies and work/school subscales of the CHIEF-SF.

KEY FINDING: Public access, short- and long-distance transport, and friends’ and colleagues’ attitudes were significantly associated with secondary health conditions.

KEY FINDING: Individuals with tetraplegia prioritized fine motor skills and upper body function, while those with paraplegia prioritized standing, walking, and bowel function.

KEY FINDING: The country of residence was the most important factor in facilitating health service access.

KEY FINDING: Tele-rehabilitation can assist with basic aspects of SCI care, such as patient positioning, pressure injury prevention, nutritional knowledge, and catheter care.

KEY FINDING: A large majority (89.2%) of the surveyed individuals with SCI were unemployed, and 77.1% received a disability pension.