Frequency and characteristics of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling among wheelchair users with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Context/objective

To investigate the frequency and characteristics of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling (FOF) among non-ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study design that included 59 non-ambulatory individuals with SCI. Participants completed a survey on demographics, SCI characteristics (type of injury, level of injury, and time since injury), FOF, activities curtailment due to FOF, and frequency of falls and fall-related injuries in the past 6 months. Characteristics of the most recent falls and fall-related injuries were also collected. A directed content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.

Results

Overall, 63% of the study participants reported falling at least once, 46.7% reported injuries after falls, and 73% reported FOF during the previous 6 months. Participants commonly reported falling inside of the house (74.6%), during transfers (43.2%), and associated with obstacles on the way (54.5%) or surface conditions (36.4%). Almost half of the participants (42.3%) reported never received education on fall prevention from a healthcare professional.

Conclusions

The results confirm that falls, fall-related injuries, and FOF are a common concern in this population. These findings contribute to the knowledge base for the future development of fall prevention programs specific for non-ambulatory individuals with SCI.

Keywords:

• Falls
• Wheelchair
• Spinal cord injuries
• Injury
• Fear of falling

Acknowledgments

The authors would also like to thank the participants for dedicating their time to take part of this study.

Disclaimer statements

Declaration of interest The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Illinois Physical Therapy Association [grant number IPTF 098442].