Research Database: Article Details

Citation:  Meade, M., Lewis, A., Jackson, M., & Hess, D. (2004). Race, employment, and spinal cord injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 85 (11), 1782-1792.
Title:  Race, employment, and spinal cord injury
Authors:  Meade, M., Lewis, A., Jackson, M., & Hess, D.
Year:  2004
Journal/Publication:  Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Publisher:  Elsevier
DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2004.05.001
Full text:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2004.05.001    |   PDF   
Peer-reviewed?  Yes
NIDILRR-funded?  Not reported
Research design:  Literature review

Structured abstract:

Background:  Racial prejudice affects many people during the employment and hiring process, but research on how racial prejudice affects specifically people with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) has not been reviewed in a larger context.
Purpose:  The goal was to examine how race affected what jobs a person took before and after an SCI, as well as their employment status and quality of life.
Setting:  The data was obtained from centers funded by the Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems project.
Study sample:  5,295 people who were either African American or White.
Data collection and analysis:  The data was collected at MSCIS centers upon injury and on the anniversary of the injury, and then every five years up to the 20th.
Findings:  The employment rates for all subjects contained racial disparity all the way through the 20th year of injury. The types of jobs held differed pre-injury, but subjects held more similar jobs post-injury. African Americans had lower economic self-sufficiency scores, regardless of their current level of education.
Conclusions:  Racial differences in people with SCIs were mirrored to those without.

Disabilities served:  Spinal cord injury (SCI)
Populations served:  Race: Black / African American