Partnership Status and Living Situation in Persons Experiencing Physical Disability in 22 Countries: Are There Patterns According to Individual and Country-Level Characteristics?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020 · DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197002 · Published: September 24, 2020

Spinal Cord Injury Disability Public Health

Simple Explanation

This study examines factors influencing partnership status (having a partner or being single) and living situation (living alone or with others) among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) across 22 countries. Data from 12,591 participants were analyzed, considering individual characteristics like age, gender, income, and injury severity, as well as country-level factors like the Human Development Index (HDI). The study found that factors like gender, age, income, employment, and injury severity significantly affect whether a person with SCI has a partner or lives alone, with country-level development also playing a role in living situation.

Study Duration

2017-01-01 to 2019-05-01

Participants

12,591 participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) from 22 countries

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Females, younger persons, those with lower income, without paid work, more severe injuries, and longer time since injury were more often single.
2
Males, older persons, those with higher income, paid work, less severe injuries, and those from countries with higher HDI more often lived alone.
3
Country-level development (HDI) was related to living situation, with singles from countries with higher HDI more often living alone.

Research Summary

This study investigates the relationship between individual and country-level characteristics and the partnership status and living situation of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) across 22 countries. The study found that individual factors such as gender, age, income, employment status, and injury severity, as well as country-level development (HDI), are associated with partnership status and living situation. The findings suggest that socioeconomic status and impairment severity at the individual level and country-level development influence the likelihood of being in a partnership and living with others, likely reflecting unequal opportunities.

Practical Implications

Targeted Interventions

Develop interventions to address specific challenges faced by women, younger individuals, and those with lower socioeconomic status to improve their opportunities for partnership and independent living.

Policy Development

Inform policies that promote equal opportunities and access to resources for individuals with SCI, particularly in countries with lower HDI, to support independent living and social inclusion.

Rehabilitation Services

Enhance rehabilitation services to address functional capacity, participation restrictions, and stigma to improve the likelihood of individuals with SCI finding partners and living independently.

Study Limitations

1
Generalizability is limited due to convenience sampling in many countries.
2
The cross-sectional nature of the data provides only a snapshot of people’s situations.
3
The study only included basic sociodemographic and SCI characteristics as predictors.

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