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Productivity one year after brain injury

Foreign-born Hispanics living in areas with many foreign language speakers had greater productivity at one-year post-injury

Date:
August 9, 2018
Source:
Kessler Foundation
Summary:
Model system researchers have examined the factors that influence productive activity one year after traumatic brain injury (TBI).
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Model system researchers have examined the factors that influence productive activity one year after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The research team, which included investigators from seven regional TBI Model Systems, studied data on 706 Hispanic individuals in the database of the TBI Model System, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). They looked at the influence of nativity, ie, whether individuals who identified as Hispanic were native (57.9% born in the U.S.) or foreign-born (42.1% from Central and South America, Caribbean, Europe, and other). They also looked at residential characteristics, including the proportion of foreign language speakers in their communities.

The study uncovered new information about the factors influencing productivity among foreign-born Hispanics with TBI. "For this group, living in an area with a high number of foreign language speakers had a positive effect on their outcomes," noted lead author Anthony H. Lequerica, PhD, "which was not what we expected." One year after traumatic brain injury, foreign-born Hispanics living in areas with high proportions of foreign language speakers were 2.8 times more likely to engage in productive activities such as employment and volunteer activities, compared with those living in areas with fewer foreign language speakers," he emphasized.

"This illustrates the importance of research within diverse communities of individuals with TBI. A complex combination of factors affect outcomes in ways that may differ from the mainstream majority culture," Dr. Lequerica stated. "It emphasizes the importance of tailoring interventions to the individual with TBI, learning about the neighborhoods to which they are returning, and taking these factors into account in the continuum of care." Dr. Lequerica, senior research scientist in TBI Research at Kessler Foundation, is an investigator with the Northern New Jersey TBI Model System.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Kessler Foundation. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Anthony H. Lequerica, Amanda Botticello, John OʼNeill, Jean Lengenfelder, Denise Krch, Nancy D. Chiaravalloti, Angelle M. Sander, Tamara Bushnik, Jessica M. Ketchum, Flora M. Hammond, Kristen Dams-OʼConnor, Elizabeth Felix, Doug Johnson-Greene. Relationship Between Hispanic Nativity, Residential Environment, and Productive Activity Among Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2018; 1 DOI: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000398

Cite This Page:

Kessler Foundation. "Productivity one year after brain injury." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 August 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180809093532.htm>.
Kessler Foundation. (2018, August 9). Productivity one year after brain injury. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180809093532.htm
Kessler Foundation. "Productivity one year after brain injury." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180809093532.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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