Work participation among middle-aged persons with cerebral palsy or spina bifida--a longitudinal study.

Abstract Background Most studies of work participation among persons with cerebral palsy (CP) or spina bifida (SB) have focused on young adults, little is known about older adults. Objective The aim of this study was to compare work participation in 2009 with 1997 (98). Methods Two groups of persons with CP or SB in Gothenburg, Sweden with an IQ above 70 were interviewed using a structured questionnaire regarding work participation. Group (A) was studied in 1983 ( n  = 55), in 1997 ( n  = 42) and in 2009 ( n  = 28). Group (B) was studied in 1998 ( n  = 30) and in 2009 ( n  = 25). In this study, the persons interviewed in 2009 were compared with their own data from 1997 (8), with a non-parametric test. Results Work participation had significantly decreased ( p Conclusions Results showed that work participation for middle-aged persons with CP or SB without intellectual disability decreased with age but continued education and wage subsidies facilitated work participation.