Race-Ethnicity, Education, and Employment After Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

The objective of this article was to identify the relationship between race-ethnicity and employment after spinal cord injury (SCI), while evaluating interrelationships with gender, injury severity, and education. The authors used a cohort design using the most current status from a post-injury interview from the National SCI Statistical Center. Participants included 14,454 adults ages 18 to 64, at least 1 year post-injury, not currently students or homemakers, and with residual impairment. Primary outcome was self-reported gainful employment. A total of 26.8% were working, and Caucasians were most likely to work followed by Hispanics and African Americans. Education and injury severity were strong predictors of working but did not attenuate the relationship between race and working. African American women were more likely to work than African American men, but this relationship was not significant for other race groups. Further research is needed to identify modifiable risk factors that can decrease the gap in post-injury employment between African Americans and other races.