| Résumé : |
Objectives
To test the hypothesis that challenges to community participation posed by winter weather are greater for individuals who use scooters, manual and power wheelchairs (wheeled mobility devices [WMDs]) than for the general ambulatory population, and to determine what WMD users identify as the most salient environmental barriers to community participation during the winter.
Design
Cross-sectional survey organized around 5 environmental domains: technological, natural, physical, social/attitudinal, and policy.
Setting
Urban community in Canada.
Participants
Convenience sample of WMD users or their proxy (N=99).
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Not applicable.
Results
Forty-two percent identified reduced outing frequency in winter months, associated with increased age (χ3=6.4, P=.04), lack of access to family/friends for transportation (χ2=8.1, P=.04), and primary type of WMD used in the winter (scooter χ2=8.8, P=.003). Most reported tires/casters becoming stuck in the snow (95%) or slipping on the ice (91%), difficulty ascending inclines/ramps (92%), and cold hands while using controls or pushing rims (85%); fewer identified frozen wheelchair/scooter batteries, seat cushions/backrests, or electronics. Sidewalks/roads were reported to be problematic by 99%. Eighty percent reported needing additional help in the winter. Limited community access in winter led to a sense of loneliness/isolation, and fear/anxiety related to safety. Respondents identified policies that limited participation during winter.
Conclusions
People who use WMDs decrease their community participation in cold weather because of multiple environmental barriers. Clinicians, researchers, and policymakers can take a multidimensional approach to mitigate these barriers in order to enhance community participation by WMD users in winter. |
trié(s) par (Pertinence décroissant(e), Titre croissant(e)) Faire une suggestion Affiner la rechercheBarriers to Wheelchair Use in the Winter / Jacquie D. Ripat in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2015/6 (2015)
