Comparison of perceived disability and functional independence in individuals with spinal cord injury athletes and non-athletes

ABSTRACT Functional impairment in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) generate secondary complications, with preponderant physical deconditioning and an exacerbation of injury complications. The objective was to evaluate the perceived disability and functional independence in athletes and non-athletes with SCI. The WHODAS 2.0 and SCIM III questionnaires were applied to 37 volunteers with SCI and their sociodemographic data were collected. The total scores of WHODAS 2.0 and SCIM III of individuals with thoracic SCI and cervical SCI were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Regarding the perceived disability, a significant difference was found in WHODAS 2.0 among athletes and non-athletes with thoracic SCI. As to functional independence, no significant differences were found between groups in SCIM III. Although the sports practice promotes health benefits, no significant differences were found in the group of individuals with cervical SCI, which can be explained by these individual’s higher degree of motor impairment.