Independent Wheelchair Mobility and Associated Factors Among Wheelchair Users in Coimbatore, India: A Cross-Sectional...

To describe levels of independent wheelchair mobility, activities of daily living (ADLs) independence, and psychosocial outcomes, and to explore associations between demographic, wheelchair-related and contextual factors and these outcomes among wheelchair users.

A cross-sectional study with exploratory bivariate and multivariate analyses was conducted among 100 wheelchair users aged >18 years recruited from community-based and rehabilitative settings. A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate usability characteristics, wheelchair specs and rehabilitation hurdles. Associations were examined using Chi-square tests; binary logistic regression was used to explore variables associated with independent mobility.

Independent wheelchair mobility, the primary outcome, was achieved by 49% of participants. In bivariate analyses, independent wheelchair mobility was significantly associated with wheelchair type (χ², p = 0.040), whereas age, walking difficulty without assistance, and prior wheelchair use were not significantly associated with mobility outcomes. ADL independence, a secondary outcome, was observed in 18% of participants, and was significantly associated with awareness of government or non-governmental organisation support programs (χ², p = 0.003). Improved psychosocial self-esteem, another secondary outcome, was reported by 29% of participants and was associated with reduced avoidance of going out (p = 0.043) and lower public embarrassment (p = 0.009). However, in the exploratory multivariable logistic regression model, no variables demonstrated statistically significant independent associations with independent wheelchair mobility.

Although several factors showed associations in exploratory bivariate analyses, no independent predictors of mobility were identified in the multivariable model, suggesting that wheelchair-related outcomes are multifactorial.