Exploring Metro and Non-metro Differences in Satisfaction With Services and Community Participation Among Low-Income Personal Assistance Service Users.
Rayna Sage, Krys Standley, Genna M Mashinchi
PMID 36188911WHAT IT FOUND
Satisfaction with personal assistance services did not differ between rural and urban users.
However, rural users reported significantly more difficulty running errands independently. Number of disabilities and health status predicted satisfaction with community participation, but rurality itself did not.
Key findings
01Non-metro respondents were significantly more likely to report serious difficulty running errands independently than metro respondents.
02Being partnered was the only factor significantly related to higher satisfaction with services.
03Satisfaction with community participation was significantly predicted by the number of disabilities and health status, but not by rurality.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study had a low response rate (19%), which may limit the generalizability of the findings. The sample size was small (190 respondents), reducing the power to detect subtle differences. Data relied on self-report, which is subject to reporting bias. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality between predictors and satisfaction.
Declared interests
The authors declare no commercial or financial conflicts of interest. The work was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that rural personal assistance services are inadequate or that satisfaction is lower in rural areas. The study found no significant difference in satisfaction between metro and non-metro users, despite rural users facing greater environmental barriers to errands.