Development of the Russian version of the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire. Preliminary evaluation of the social and vocational status of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury

Federal State Budgetary Scientific and Practical Centre for Medical and Social Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons in Novokuznetsk, Russian Federation

Abstract

Introduction: spinal cord injury is a damaging event that affects person's wellbeing and represents a significant societal problem. Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) occurs mostly among young adults and causes severe impairments in daily living activities and functioning. The Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ) based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was developed recently as an instrument to evaluate functioning in vocational rehabilitation. The evidence of work activities and vocational status of disabled persons in Russia remains almost unstudied, Therefore, the need for Russian version of WORQ has emerged to investigate the social and vocational status of TSCI-patients. Objectives: cross-cultural adaptation of WORQ into Russian; preliminary evaluation of the social and vocational status of patients with TSCI. Material and methods: Russian WORQ (self-reported version) was used to investigate the social and vocational status of the patients with TSCI. Results: more than 80% of participants are not vocationally active; Conclusions: the most severe degree of impairment is not associated with lower rates of employment; female patients with TSCI are more likely to have an active working status.