Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the relation among the measures in a power wheelchair outcomes toolkit.
Design
We performed path analysis of cross-sectional data from self-report questionnaires
and 1 objective measure.
Setting
Six sites.
Participants
A convenience sample of power wheelchair users (N=128). Most (n=69; 53.9%) participants
were women. Multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury/disease were the most common
diagnoses.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
The power wheelchair version of the Wheelchair Skills Test version 4.1 was used to
carry out an objective evaluation of capacity to perform 32 wheelchair skills. The
Late-Life Disability Index measured frequency of participation in 16 life activities.
The Life-Space Assessment measured independence, extent, and frequency of mobility.
The Assistive Technology Outcomes Profile for Mobility was used to assess perceived
difficulty performing activity and participation using assistive technology. The Wheelchair
Use Confidence Scale for powered wheelchair users captured users' self-efficacy with
wheelchair use.
Results
Wheelchair confidence was independently associated with less difficulty with activity
(β=.028, P=.002) and participation (β=.225, P<.001), increased life space (β=.095, P<.003), and greater wheelchair skills (β=.30, P<.001). Less perceived difficulty with activity was independently associated with
increased frequency of participation (β=.55, P<.001). Life-space mobility was independently associated with increased frequency
of participation (β=.167, P<.001). Less difficulty with participation was independently associated with greater
life-space mobility (β=.59, P<.001) and greater frequency of participation (β=.13, P<.001).
Conclusions
This study provides empirical support for the measures included as part of the power
wheelchair outcomes toolkit. They appear to provide complementary information on a
variety of constructs related to power wheelchair use.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
IADL (instrumental activities of daily living), ICF (International Classification of Function, Disability and Health), LLDI (Late-Life Disability Index), LSA (Life-Space Assessment), NFI (Normed Fit Index), RMSEA (root mean square error of approximation)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 21, 2015
Footnotes
Supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) CanWheel Emerging team in Wheeled Mobility for Older Adults (grant no. AMG 100925); a Banting postdoctoral fellowship (grant no. 12130-1); a Fonds de recherche du Québec - Junior Scholar Award (grant no. 20788); and a CIHR Institute of Aging Fellowship (grant no. 95210).
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
