Gender- and age-related role changes following brain injury

The impact of gender and age on community integration after brain injury was examined among 758 respondents surveyed by four regional head injury centers. After injury, most participants required more help with many activities of community living than they had before injury. Men and women alike indicated changes in independent functioning; however, larger proportions of women than men indicated that they used more help with activities such as housework and meal preparation. More older participants than younger participants reported changes in role performance. One factor that may account for these gender- and age-related differences is the instrument used to measure handicap. These results point to a need for further research on the social factors that influence community integration. More comprehensive evaluation of the role of socially relevant variables such as gender and age on community integration following brain injury is needed.