To work or not to work: labour market participation of people with spinal cord injury living in Switzerland

Study design: Cross-sectional survey. Objectives: To establish labour market participation figures of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in Switzerland and to investigate determinants and consequences of having paid work. Setting: Community. Methods: A survey among members of the Swiss Paraplegic Association was performed in 2008. Inclusion criteria were: SCI of traumatic or non-traumatic origin, minimum age of 18 years, and living in the community for at least 1 year. A total of 559 persons with SCI returned the questionnaire (response rate 27%), of which 495 (24%) fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed based on theoretical considerations and relevant determinants found in the literature. Results: Of the respondents of working age, 63.8% were involved in gainful employment. No significant difference between persons with para-and tetraplegia was observed. Logistic regression showed that employment was associated with age, time since onset of SCI, having worked at 2 years after initial rehabilitation, having received vocational counselling, having less pain, more years of education and more perceived importance of work. Working persons achieved a significantly higher total income. The most important reasons to work were not financial, but rather of social nature. Barriers to work were primarily health-related. Conclusions: We found a relatively high employment rate among the studied persons with SCI living in Switzerland. However, because of the low response, it is difficult to generalise this finding. Spinal Cord (2012) 50, 521-526; doi: 10.1038/sc.2011.181; published online 17 January 2012