Participation in activities among people with long-term spinal cord injury in Sweden and the USA – an explorative study using secondary data analysis

Study design: Secondary data analysis. Objective: To explore differences in participation, secondary health complications, and the use of assistive devices and personal assistance among people with long-term SCI in Sweden and the USA. Setting: Community dwelling individuals with SCI in Sweden and USA. Methods: Secondary analysis of data collected via PARTS-Mv3 among individuals living with SCI in Sweden (n = 73) and in the USA (n = 45). Descriptive analyses provided information regarding the participants, their participation in activities, and secondary health complications, together with the use of assistive devices and personal assistance. Results: Both samples included more males than females. The mean ages for the Sweden and USA samples were 63.7 and 58, respectively. The mean time since injury was 36.3 years for Sweden and 35.9 for the USA. Perceived health was significantly higher in Sweden (3.80) than in the USA (2.89). The USA sample reported higher occurrence of secondary health complications than Sweden. The amount and type of participation in activities varied between countries, so also the use of assistive devices and personal assistance. Conclusions: Participation differences were identified when comparing individuals with long-term SCI living in Sweden and in the USA. Further explanatory work is needed to determine whether the differences can be attributed to the varying social and health care systems of the two countries. Understanding how cultural differences influence participation can provide valuable information to determine which system is more likely to positively influence the participation of individuals with long-term SCI.