Relationship between demographic characteristics and return-to-work for loss of income claimants at the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, Botswana.

BACKGROUND: The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund Botswana compensates claimants who lose their incomes due to road traffic accidents. In Botswana, road traffic accidents are becoming more frequent, and the MVA Fund is experiencing escalating claims. We describe the demographic characteristics of loss of income (LOI) claimants of the MVA Fund Botswana. We assess whether demographic characteristics are related to return to work (RTW). OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively reviewed records of MVA Fund claimants and extracted demographic information. We investigated the demographic profile and the relationship between demographic information and RTW. METHODS: We reviewed 432 LOI claims received by MVA Fund from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020. We descriptively analysed the demographic profiles of claimants. We used a univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression to determine the association between independent demographic variables and the dependent variable, RTW. RESULTS: MVA Fund claimants were on average 37-years-old. Claimants were mostly from low-income socio-economic backgrounds. RTW was significantly associated with injury severity, type of injury, and having a RTW plan offer. The final predictors of RTW, using logistic regression, were time away from work and severity of injury. CONCLUSION: In Botswana, claimants who had severe injuries and who stayed away from work for longer were less likely to RTW. The MVA Fund Botswana must recognise the demographic profiles of claimants which are likely to influence RTW.

Hippotherapy concepts: A scoping review to inform transdisciplinary practice guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Hippotherapy, an equine-assisted service, uses the movement of the horse as a treatment tool. Hippotherapy is often used by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech and language pathologists. To optimise hippotherapy and facilitate the development of transdisciplinary hippotherapy practise guidelines, this scoping review identified novel hippotherapy concepts used during hippotherapy interventions for clients with spastic cerebral palsy. AIM: To explore, identify, and describe concepts that constitute hippotherapy practices for clients with spastic cerebral palsy. METHODS: An exploratory descriptive qualitative research design, using Arksey and O'Malley's five stages of scoping review. RESULTS: We identified and tabulated 19 hippotherapy concepts. CONCLUSIONS: Hippotherapy is a complex intervention with multiple concepts. This review contributed to the development of hippotherapy practice guidelines for clients with spastic cerebral palsy. SIGNIFICANCE: Including hippotherapy concepts into hippotherapy practice will inform therapists, benefit clients, and contribute to future research.

The impact of impairment, socio-demographic and environmental factors on spinal cord injury survivors' ability to return to work.

BACKGROUND: Re-employment of spinal cord injury survivors (SCIS) has been positively related to better community integration. The identification of the determining factors and their impact on return to work (RTW) of SCIS would be helpful in improving the RTW rate. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the factors determining RTW and explore their impact on RTW. METHODS: An adapted Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire Self-Report questionnaire was used to elicit sociodemographic information and work-related characteristics of the participants. Sixty-eight participants with a premorbid worker status completed the questionnaires which were sent via mail, email and hand delivery. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: At the time of the survey 70.6% of the participants were not re-employed. The inferential statistical analysis indicated that time since injury and re-employment, receiving medical attention due to complications, vocational intervention, supervisor's support, family support and government support were significant factors of RTW. The results showed no significant differences in RTW by most of the sociodemographic factors. Only two percent of the participants indicated vocational planning and intentions. CONCLUSION: The significant impact of vocational and injury characteristics suggests that vocational rehabilitation services are urgently needed to support SCIS in returning to their worker role. Returning to work is a significant outcome of SCI rehabilitation.

Family-based activity settings of children in a low-income African context.

BACKGROUND: There has been an overwhelming call to improve the understanding of how children develop within an African context as Euro-American definitions of competence have been uncritically adopted as the norm for children in Africa. The activities that children engage in within the family setting are seen as important to understand how children develop within context. The use of activity settings is closely aligned with a strengths-based perspective of family-centred practice and contributes to improved sustainability of intervention. OBJECTIVES: This study that was conducted in Soweto, South Africa, aims to describe activity settings that typically developing young children in low-income African contexts participate in. METHOD: A descriptive design using structured interviews was utilised to obtain information about activity settings that children aged 3-5 years and 11 months engaged in. Structured interviews with 90 caregivers were conducted. RESULTS: Findings show that children participate in a variety of activities with varied participation levels. The types of activities are dependent on the context and perceptions of caregivers. CONCLUSION: These findings draw attention to understanding activities that children engage in within the family context.

Introducing a school-to-work transition model for youth with disabilities in South Africa.

Historically, transition from the school into sustainable employment has been the outcome for very few who completed their schooling at the Pretoria School for Learners with Special Educational Needs. This resulted in the development of a transition model, based on models successfully implemented in the United States of America, which addresses the range of transition needs of youth with disabilities in the South African context. This article gives a short description of the content of the program, and the context within which it functions.