Abstract
Background
Mobility impairments are the third leading cause of disability for
community-dwelling Canadians. Wheelchairs and scooters help compensate
for these challenges. There are limited data within the last decade
estimating the prevalence of wheelchair and scooter use in Canada.
Objective
The aims of this study were: (1) to estimate the prevalence of
wheelchair and scooter use in Canada and (2) to explore relevant
demographic characteristics of wheelchair and scooter users.
Design This study was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional national survey.
Methods
The Canadian Survey on Disability (2012) collected data on wheelchair
and scooter use from community-dwelling individuals aged 15 years and
over with a self-identified activity limitation on the National
Household Survey. Prevalence estimates were calculated as weighted
frequencies, with cross-tabulations to determine the number of
wheelchair and scooter users in Canada, by province, and demographic
characteristics (ie, age, sex) and bootstrapping to estimate the
variance of all point estimates.
Results
There were approximately 288,800 community-dwelling wheelchair and
scooter users aged 15 years and over, representing 1.0% of the Canadian
population. The sample included 197,560 manual wheelchair users, 42,360
powered wheelchair users, and 108,550 scooter users. Wheelchair and
scooter users were predominantly women, with a mean age of 65 years.
Approximately 50,620 individuals used a combination of 2 different types
of devices.
Limitations
The results are representative of individuals living in the community
in Canada and exclude individuals in residential or group-based
settings; estimates do not represent the true population prevalence.
Conclusion
This analysis is the first in more than 10 years to provide a
prevalence estimate and description of wheelchair and scooter users in
Canada. Since 2004, there has been an increase in the proportion of the
population who use wheelchairs and scooters, likely related to an aging
Canadian population. These new prevalence data have potential to inform
policy, research, and clinical practice.
