Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Mar 5;26(2):154-161.
doi: 10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_25_20. eCollection 2021 Mar-Apr.

Exploring Facilitators of Regaining Autonomy in People with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study

Moloud Farmahini Farahani  1 , Hamid Reza Khankeh  1   2 , Mohammadali Hosseini  1 , Asghar Dalvandi  1 , Kian NorouziTabrizi  1
Affiliations

Exploring Facilitators of Regaining Autonomy in People with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study

Moloud Farmahini Farahani et al. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. .

Abstract

Background: One of the most important aims of rehabilitation in Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) is regaining autonomy, which can affect individuals' Quality of Life (QOL). This study was conducted to understand the experiences of individuals with SCI in terms of regaining autonomy during transition from hospital to community.

Materials and methods: The present study was conducted using a qualitative research design. In this study, 15 semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals with SCI in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Association of Arak, Iran, from June 2018 to May 2019. The interviews were analyzed using the conventional content analysis method.

Results: Data analysis emerged four core categories of "self-management" (adaptation to a new life, self-care, responsibility, and seeking information), "social support" (family and friends' support, health care providers' support, and peer support), "access to facilities and resources" (home modification, use of various rehabilitation techniques, and use of mobility equipment), and "spiritual and religious beliefs" (believing in divine destiny and performance of religious rites).

Conclusions: The present study showed that several factors influenced the regaining of autonomy in individuals with SCI. It is important to consider the impact of these factors during transition from hospital to community. Health service providers can use the findings of this research to help these individuals regain their autonomy.

Keywords: Iran; personal autonomy; qualitative research; spinal cord injuries.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Nothing to declare.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Andrade VSd, Faleiros F, Balestrero LM, Romeiro V, Santos CBd. Social participation and personal autonomy of individuals with spinal cord injury. Rev Bras Enferm. 2019;72:241–7. - PubMed
    1. Lynch J, Cahalan R. The impact of spinal cord injury on the quality of life of primary family caregivers: A literature review. Spinal Cord. 2017;55:964–78. - PubMed
    1. Khazaeli K, Hoseini E, Nasiri AH, Amarloui M, Ganji MK. Relationship between level of injury and quality of life in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. IHSR. 2019;18:45–51.
    1. New PW. Secondary conditions in a community sample of people with spinal cord damage. Spinal Cord Med. 2016;39:665–70. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Babamohamadi H, Negarandeh R. Important coping strategies used by individuals with spinal cord injury: A qualitative study. J Qual Res Health Sci. 2013;2:90–100.

LinkOut - more resources