Evaluating the disability employment gap and Its determinants: findings from a population-based cohort study in spinal cord injury.
Mahesh Sarki, Urban Schwegler, George Austin-Cliff and 3 others
PMID 40352116WHAT IT FOUND
Employment among people with spinal cord injury in Switzerland rose from 56% in 2012 to 65% in 2022.
The gap with the general population narrowed from -26% to -17%, but widened for low education and Lake Geneva.
Key findings
01Paid work among working-age people with spinal cord injury rose from 56% in 2012 to 65% in 2022, and the adjusted employment gap narrowed from -26% to -17%.
02People with complete tetraplegia had a 24% lower likelihood of paid work than those with incomplete paraplegia, and people with 0-9 years of education had a 55% lower likelihood than those with 17 or more years.
03The employment gap increased for the 0-9 years education group and the Lake Geneva region.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study observed survey data over time and did not test vocational services, so it cannot show what caused the gap to narrow. Self-selection or dropout may overrepresent healthier or economically active people. Participants self-reported paid work and predictor variables, which may be inaccurate or socially desirable. Education duration may not reflect educational attainment in spinal cord injury, because retraining can add years without raising the original qualification level. The findings are for working-age people with acquired spinal cord injury living in Switzerland, so they may not apply to other age groups, countries, or injury types.
Declared interests
The authors state that financial support was received for the research or publication. Two authors were supported by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the narrowing gap as proof that vocational services caused it. The study observed survey data over time, and the gap widened for people with 0-9 years of education and Lake Geneva residents.