Differences in participation based on self-esteem in power and manual wheelchair users on a university campus: a pilot study

Emerging adulthood among backpackers: The contribution of internal and external factors to sense of community

During emerging adulthood, individuals are primarily concerned with themselves. Community participation, however, may help one to mature, and community belonging is important for well-being. As such, the current study aimed to examine these two components among young-adult Israeli backpackers abroad. We examined the role of personal (mastery, self-esteem, and posttraumatic growth) and environmental (family and friends' support) factors in sense of belonging and community participation. A cross-sectional sample survey was distributed; data were collected from 332 Israeli backpackers abroad. The findings based on t-tests, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical regression analysis showed that mastery was associated with sense of belonging, not with community participation. Self-esteem and posttraumatic growth were positively associated with both dependent variables. Friends' support was also positively associated with both dependent variables; family support was not significantly associated with either. Personal factors had the greatest association with sense of community.

Shared autonomy in assistive mobile robots: a review

PURPOSE

Shared autonomy has played a major role in assistive mobile robotics as it has the potential to effectively balance user satisfaction and smooth functioning of systems by adapting itself to each user's needs and preferences. Many shared control paradigms have been developed over the years. However, despite these advancements, shared control paradigms have not been widely adopted as there are several integral aspects that have not fully matured. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and review various aspects of shared control and the technologies leading up to the current advancements in shared control for assistive mobile robots.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted following a dichotomy of studies from the pre-2000 and the post-2000 periods to focus on both the early developments and the current state of the art in this domain.

RESULTS

A systematic review of 135 research papers and 7 review papers selected from the literature was conducted. To facilitate the organization of the reviewed work, a 6-level ladder categorization was developed based on the extent of autonomy shared between the human and the robot in the use of assistive mobile robots. This taxonomy highlights the chronological improvements in this domain.

CONCLUSION

It was found that most prior studies have focussed on basic functionalities, thus paving the way for research to now focus on the higher levels of the ladder taxonomy. It was concluded that further research in the domain must focus on ensuring safety in mobility and adaptability to varying environments.Implications for rehabilitationShared autonomy in assistive mobile robots plays a vital role in effectively adapting to ensure safety while also considering the user comfort.User's immediate desires should be considered in decision making to ensure that the users are in control of the assistive robots.The current focus of research should be towards successful adaptation of the assistive mobile robots to varying environments to assure safety of the user.

Evaluation of the Nino® Two-Wheeled Power Mobility Device: A Pilot Study

Novel technologies such as the Nino® two-wheeled powered mobility device are promoted as offering an intuitive improved experience compared to conventional wheelchair mobility use. The Nino® has a smaller footprint than a power wheelchair, a zero-degree turning radius, tiller-based steering, and relies on the user leaning forwards and back to move and brake. This study aimed to evaluate manual wheelchair users' ability to use the Nino® to complete a variety of wheelchair skills, and also investigated task demand, user confidence, and user perceptions. Twelve participants with a mean of 22 years of experience using a wheelchair completed the study; most had spinal cord injuries and one had multiple sclerosis. Our findings indicate that Wheelchair Skills Test scores were significantly higher for individuals in their manual wheelchair than in the Nino®. Results from the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale showed that confidence scores increased significantly after completing Nino® training, and that participants were significantly more confident using their manual chair than the Nino®. Cognitive workload, as measured by the NASA-Task Load Index, was significantly higher in the Nino® than in participants' manual wheelchairs. Findings from qualitative interviews suggest that the Nino® is unlikely to be suitable as a functional replacement of an individual's manual wheelchair. Most participants felt unsafe during braking. Other perceptions included that the Nino may be a good alternative for use as a recreational outdoor mobility device, a powered mobility option to help prevent upper extremity overuse injuries, have a positive impact on social interactions, but that a high degree of focus was required during use. In addition to needing to address safety, usability, and functional concerns, the data suggests a clinical focus on training individuals to use these new devices may be necessary for effective community use.

Using the refined ICF Linking Rules to compare the content of existing instruments and assessments: a systematic review and exemplary analysis of instruments measuring participation

BACKGROUND

Existing instruments measuring participation may vary with respect to various aspects. This study aimed to examine the comparability of existing instruments measuring participation based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) by considering aspects of content, the perspective adopted and the categorization of response options.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify instruments that have been commonly used to measure participation. Concepts of identified instruments were then linked to the ICF following the refined ICF Linking Rules. Aspects of content, perspective adopted and categorization of response options were documented.

RESULTS

Out of 315 instruments identified in the full-text screening, 41 instruments were included. Concepts of six instruments were linked entirely to the ICF component Activities and Participation; of 10 instruments still 80% of their concepts. A descriptive perspective was adopted in most items across instruments (75%), mostly in combination with an intensity rating. An appraisal perspective was found in 18% and questions from a need or dependency perspective were least frequent (7%).

CONCLUSION

Accounting for aspects of content, perspective and categorization of responses in the linking of instruments to the ICF provides detailed information for the comparison of instruments and guidance on narrowing down the choices of suitable instruments from a content point of view. Implications for Rehabilitation For clinicians and researchers who need to identify a specific instrument for a given purpose, the findings of this review can serve as a screening tool for instruments measuring participation in terms of the following: • Their content covered based on the ICF. • The perspective adopted in the instrument (e.g., descriptive, need/dependency or appraisal). • The categorization of their response options (e.g., intensity or frequency).