Socioeconomic status and social relationships in persons with spinal cord injury from 22 countries: Does the countries’ socioeconomic development moderate associations?

PLoS ONE, 2021 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255448 · Published: August 13, 2021

Simple Explanation

This study explores how socioeconomic status (SES) affects social relationships among people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) in 22 countries. It investigates whether a country's socioeconomic development (SED) influences these relationships. The study found that individual SES factors like employment and financial stability are linked to better social connections. Interestingly, the impact of these factors can vary depending on the country's SED. For instance, having paid work was more crucial for social relationships in lower SED countries, while education and perceived social standing were more important in higher SED countries.

Study Duration

January 2017 and May 2019

Participants

12,330 persons with traumatic or non-traumatic SCI

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Paid work, absence of financial hardship, and higher subjective social status were related to higher belongingness, higher relationship satisfaction, and fewer problems with social interactions.
2
Lower country SED was related to higher relationship satisfaction and less problems with social interactions, although effects were small.
3
Having paid work was more important for relationship satisfaction in lower SED countries.

Research Summary

This study investigates inequalities in social relationships in an international sample of persons with spinal cord injury and explores whether social gradients in relationships are moderated by the countries’ socioeconomic development (SED). Social relationships in persons with spinal cord injury are patterned according to individual SES and the countries’ SED and larger socioeconomic structures partly moderate associations between individual SES and social relationships. Paid work, financial hardship and SSS were particularly important for social relationships in the analyzed sample of people experiencing physical disability, namely SCI.

Practical Implications

Targeted Rehabilitation Services

Rehabilitation services should focus on supporting individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in establishing and maintaining social connections.

Promote Labor Market Participation

Policies and occupational rehabilitation programs should prioritize increasing employment opportunities for people with SCI, as paid work significantly improves social relationships and prevents financial hardship.

Address Subjective Social Status

Interventions should consider the importance of subjective social status, particularly in higher SED countries, to mitigate feelings of social exclusion and improve social interactions.

Study Limitations

1
Generalizability of results might be limited due to sampling bias.
2
Self-report of indicators such as education and income may have led to biased responses.
3
Reverse causation cannot be excluded for some constructs.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Disability