The role of self-efficacy in community reintegration among persons with traumatic spinal cord injury in South Africa.

Objectives: To assess perceived levels of community reintegration, and examine whether self-efficacy relates to community reintegration among persons with a TSCI.

Design: A cross-sectional exploratory survey.

Settings: Cape Metropolitan Area. Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Participants: A hundred and eight (108) conveniently selected community-dwelling adults between the ages of 19 and 71 years old, who sustained a TSCI more than 1-year post-injury.

Outcomes measures: Community Integration Measure (CIM) and the Moorong Self-Efficacy (MSES).

Results: The CIM score ranged between 10 and 50 with an overall mean score of 31.48; SD = 12.5. CIM item 10 "I have something useful and productive to do in this community" was the least scored by participants (M = 2.50, SD = 1.4). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that social functioning factor of self-efficacy, accommodation type, and level of injury were the only variables influencing perceived community reintegration that explained 47.3% of the total variance, of which social functioning factor of self-efficacy was the strongest predictor that alone explained 33% of the variance in the model after controlling for the influence of accommodation and the level of injury.

Conclusion: Community reintegration achieved by individuals with a TSCI in this study is generally low. Individuals' perceptions about community reintegration are affected by the community in which one lives. Self-efficacy plays a major role in community reintegration following a TSCI. However, reintegration is largely dependent on social functioning rather than the activity of daily living factors of self-efficacy.