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Study design <p>Cross-sectional survey.</p> Objectives <p>To evaluate the employment status, work environment perceptions, and reasons for unemployment among individuals with SCI in Turkey, and to identify factors associated with workforce participation.</p> Setting <p>Community.</p> Methods <p>Data were collected from 357 individuals with SCI using the standardized International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) Community Survey. Data on sociodemographic and SCI-related characteristics, employment status, vocational rehabilitation (VR) participation, income satisfaction, and perceived barriers to employment were collected. Group differences between employed and unemployed participants were analyzed.</p> Results <p>The mean age of participants was 44.97 ± 10.92 years, and 71.7% were male. Only 12.9% were currently engaged in paid employment, while 59.5% of unemployed participants expressed a willingness to work. Employment was significantly associated with higher education (p &lt; 0.001), more education received after injury (p &lt; 0.001), longer time since injury (p &lt; 0.001), and participation in VR (p = 0.003). The most common reasons for not working were health condition or disability (67.7%), inability to find a suitable job (20.7%), insufficient transportation services (14.8%), and lack of knowledge about job-seeking strategies (14.5%). Fear of losing disability benefits was reported by 3.6% of participants. Among those employed, 52.3% reported satisfaction with their salary, and 78.3% felt that their contributions were adequately recognized.</p> Conclusions <p>Employment rates among individuals with SCI in Turkey remain critically low, despite many expressing a desire to work. Health-related limitations, environmental barriers, and systemic issues such as transportation and lack of VR services are key factors hindering workforce participation.</p>

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Employment status and barriers to workforce participation among individuals with spinal cord injury: results from the Turkish InSCI Community Survey

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月19日

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  • Belgin Erhan,
  • Bilinc Dogruoz Karatekin,
  • Kevser Gumussu,
  • Basak Bilir Kaya,
  • Hulya Sirzai,
  • Yasemin Yumusakhuylu,
  • Semra Çetinkaya

摘要

Study design

Cross-sectional survey.

Objectives

To evaluate the employment status, work environment perceptions, and reasons for unemployment among individuals with SCI in Turkey, and to identify factors associated with workforce participation.

Setting

Community.

Methods

Data were collected from 357 individuals with SCI using the standardized International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) Community Survey. Data on sociodemographic and SCI-related characteristics, employment status, vocational rehabilitation (VR) participation, income satisfaction, and perceived barriers to employment were collected. Group differences between employed and unemployed participants were analyzed.

Results

The mean age of participants was 44.97 ± 10.92 years, and 71.7% were male. Only 12.9% were currently engaged in paid employment, while 59.5% of unemployed participants expressed a willingness to work. Employment was significantly associated with higher education (p < 0.001), more education received after injury (p < 0.001), longer time since injury (p < 0.001), and participation in VR (p = 0.003). The most common reasons for not working were health condition or disability (67.7%), inability to find a suitable job (20.7%), insufficient transportation services (14.8%), and lack of knowledge about job-seeking strategies (14.5%). Fear of losing disability benefits was reported by 3.6% of participants. Among those employed, 52.3% reported satisfaction with their salary, and 78.3% felt that their contributions were adequately recognized.

Conclusions

Employment rates among individuals with SCI in Turkey remain critically low, despite many expressing a desire to work. Health-related limitations, environmental barriers, and systemic issues such as transportation and lack of VR services are key factors hindering workforce participation.