Research Database: Article Details

Citation:  Krause, J. S., & Reed, K. S. (2009). Obtaining employment after spinal cord injury: Relationship with pre- and post-injury education. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 53 (1), 27-33.
Title:  Obtaining employment after spinal cord injury: Relationship with pre- and post-injury education
Authors:  Krause, J. S., & Reed, K. S.
Year:  2009
Journal/Publication:  Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin
Publisher:  Hammill Institute on Disabilities
DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355208329443
Full text:  http://proxy.library.vcu.edu/login?url=http://rcb.sagepub.com/conte...   
Peer-reviewed?  Yes
NIDILRR-funded?  Yes
Research design:  Survey research

Structured abstract:

Background:  Returning to employment after a spinal cord injury (SCI) is a key indicator of the return into society. The employment rate of people with SCI continues to lag behind that of the general population. The biggest predictor of post injury employment (PIE) has by far been education. The research that has shown this has not focused on the difference between pre-injury education and post-injury education however.
Purpose:  To identify the association of pre-injury and post-injury education with PIE. The authors hypothesized that post-injury education completion will result in a greater likelihood of PIE than completion of pre-injury education.
Setting:  Hospitals in the Midwestern United States and a SCI specialty hospital in the Southeastern United States.
Study sample:  There was a final sample of participants (N=1,362) that came from a larger longitudinal study. All participants met the following inclusion criteria: (1) experienced a traumatic SCI, (2) at least one year since SCI onset, (3) between the ages of 18-64, (4) not currently a student. The majority of the participants were male Caucasians. Twenty four percent of the participants were ambulatory to some degree. The participants averaged 13.6 years of education.
Control or comparison condition:  PIE as a function of education
Data collection and analysis:  The Life Situation Questionnaire-Revised was used to gather demographic information, educational completion, and PIE. Educational milestones were differentiated between pre-injury and post-injury by asking: “Please indicate which of the following educational milestones you have completed and whether you did so before or after the onset of the SCI”. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study sample. A logistic regression analysis was used to identify the odds of PIE as a function of educational milestones completed.
Findings:  Generally speaking the completion of educational milestones post injury led to a higher chance of PIE that completion of educational milestones pre injury. High school certificate completion pre vs. post injury was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:  Education is still the key to PIE as past research has shown. However these findings suggest that even with extensive pre-injury education post-injury education or training is crucial to PIE.

Disabilities served:  Spinal cord injury (SCI)
Populations served:  Gender: Female and Male
Interventions:  Vocational rehabilitation
Outcomes:  Employment acquisition