The associations of functional independence and quality of life with sitting balance and wheelchair skills among wheelchair users with spinal cord injury

This study examines how well people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) who use wheelchairs can perform daily tasks and their overall quality of life in relation to their sitting balance and wheelchair skills. Researchers looked at data from 59 wheelchair users with SCI, focusing on their functional independence, quality of life, sitting balance, and wheelchair skills. The study found that lower functional independence and mobility were linked to poorer sitting balance and wheelchair skills. Better quality of life may be linked to better wheelchair skills.

• 1
  Functional independence, as measured by the SCIM III, significantly correlated with sitting balance, as measured by the FIST.
• 2
  Mobility, a component of functional independence, correlated with wheelchair skills performance, capacity, and confidence.
• 3
  Quality of life, specifically physical health and environment domains, significantly correlated with wheelchair skills capacity and confidence.