BACKGROUND: Vocational rehabilitation research has emphasised job acquisition post-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) but has comparatively neglected job retention. As job withdrawal represents a substantial – albeit less-visible – employment outcome, interventions that address job withdrawal are vital.
OBJECTIVES: To examine (1) retrospectively-assessed intention to participate in interventions designed to minimise job withdrawal factors and identify those most likely to be used and (2) the extent to which the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) can predict participation intention.
METHODS: Using purposive sampling, 35 SCI participants completed a structured online survey to assess their beliefs about 10 interventions designed to minimise specific job-withdrawal factors.
RESULTS: Multivariate analyses revealed that intention to participate was higher in interventions that were e-based (ongoing monitoring, support, mentoring, peer-sharing), skill-acquisition-based (interview techniques, accessing the hidden job market) or focused on pain management. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was generally a good predictor of participation intention.
CONCLUSION: Application of the TPB conceptual framework provides rehabilitation professionals and policy-makers with rarely-reported evidence about potential intervention participation to more effectively guide public health decision-making.
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