IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i14p6387-d1196805.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women with Spinal Cord Injury

Author

Listed:
  • Heather B. Taylor

    (TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA)

  • Rosemary B. Hughes

    (Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA)

  • Diana Gonzalez

    (TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Muna Bhattarai

    (Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Susan Robinson-Whelen

    (TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

Abstract

This study represents the first known research addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States. Women in this population face unique barriers that put them at elevated risk for compromised quality of life, risk that was magnified by physical and social restrictions imposed during the pandemic. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of women with SCI and the effect of the pandemic on their lives. The predominantly White and relatively well-educated sample of 105 women with traumatic SCI was diverse in age, injury characteristics, and geographic representation. Recruited across the USA, participants in an online psychological health intervention trial were asked to respond to the item, “Please tell us how COVID-19 has affected you and your life”, administered May–October, 2020. An overall sentiment rating of impact was coded as well as the impact of COVID-19 on eight individual themes: Physical Health, Mental Health, Social Health, Activities of Daily Living, Exercise, Work, Activities Outside the Home, and Activities at Home. Sentiment responses were rated as positive, negative, a mixture of positive and negative impacts, or neutral impact. Participants described the overall impact of COVID-19 as negative (54%), positive (10%), mixed (21%) or neutral (15%). Sentiment ratings to individual themes were also described. Our findings highlight the importance of providing access to disability-sensitive and affordable support, resources, and interventions for women with SCI, especially during a public health crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Heather B. Taylor & Rosemary B. Hughes & Diana Gonzalez & Muna Bhattarai & Susan Robinson-Whelen, 2023. "Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women with Spinal Cord Injury," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(14), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:14:p:6387-:d:1196805
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/14/6387/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/14/6387/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shaden A. M. Khalifa & Mahmoud M. Swilam & Aida A. Abd El-Wahed & Ming Du & Haged H. R. El-Seedi & Guoyin Kai & Saad H. D. Masry & Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim & Xiaobo Zou & Mohammed F. Halabi & Sultan M. A, 2021. "Beyond the Pandemic: COVID-19 Pandemic Changed the Face of Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-20, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Francesca Gallè & Elita Anna Sabella & Lavinia Bianco & Mario Maninchedda & Benedetta Barchielli & Fabrizio Liguori & Giovanna Da Molin & Giorgio Liguori & Giovanni Battista Orsi & Stefano Ferracuti &, 2022. "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Impacted Daily Life? Assessing the Use of Web Resources for Recreational Activities in the Italian Adult Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-13, November.
    2. Aleksandra Kołota & Dominika Głąbska, 2022. "Analysis of Association between Adolescents’ Food Habits and Body Mass Change in a Population-Based Sample: Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Francesca Gallè & Elita Anna Sabella & Paolo Roma & Stefano Ferracuti & Giovanna Da Molin & Giusy Diella & Maria Teresa Montagna & Giovanni Battista Orsi & Giorgio Liguori & Christian Napoli, 2021. "Knowledge and Lifestyle Behaviors Related to COVID-19 Pandemic in People over 65 Years Old from Southern Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-11, October.
    4. Michela Gabelloni & Lorenzo Faggioni & Roberta Fusco & Federica De Muzio & Ginevra Danti & Francesca Grassi & Roberta Grassi & Pierpaolo Palumbo & Federico Bruno & Alessandra Borgheresi & Alessandra B, 2023. "Exploring Radiologists’ Burnout in the COVID-19 Era: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-16, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:14:p:6387-:d:1196805. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.