Citation

Lubinski R, Moscato BS, Willer BS. Brain Inj. 1997; 11(2): 103-114.

Affiliation

State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9012943

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide prevalence estimates of the sociodemographic characteristics and extent of speaking and hearing disabilities among a community-based sample of adults (15 years and older) who have survived traumatic brain injury (TBI). This report is based on the Canadian Health and Activity Limitation Survey (1986-87), a national household survey of self-reported disabilities. Results indicate that adults with TBI with speaking or hearing difficulties tend to be male, middle-aged and older, urban dwellers, of relatively low income levels who are limited at work. Over 75% of adults with speaking difficulties report difficulty being understood by people outside their immediate family context. Hearing difficulties rise dramatically from 75% occurring with one communication partner to over 96% occurring with three partners. The mean duration of disabilities is 12.7 years for speaking and 13.5 years for hearing. More than 80% of adults with communicative difficulties have co-occurring disabilities of mobility and agility. Results have specific implications for functional assessment of adults with TBI and service delivery decision-making.

Language: en