Family functioning, social participation, and social support in people with spinal cord injury in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Study design Cross-sectional study. Objectives To investigate the relationships between family functioning, social participation, and social support among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Bangladesh. Methods It was conducted from November 2023 to April 2024, involving 252 adults with SCI aged 18 years or older, residing in community settings. Participants were selected from the Bangladesh Spinal Cord Injury (BanSCI) database. Data were collected using validated tools: the Family Assessment Device General Functioning (FAD-GF) subscale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Participation Scale (P-scale). Results The study population was predominantly male (81%), with 70.28% having paraplegia and 29.82% having tetraplegia. Perceived social support—particularly from family (ρ = − 0.641, p < 0.001)—showed the strongest negative correlation with better family functioning, followed by significant others (ρ = − 0.440, p < 0.001) and total support (ρ = − 0.372, p < 0.001) Social support modestly correlated with fewer participation restrictions (total MSPSS: ρ = − 0.202, p = 0.001; friends: ρ = − 0.237, p < 0.001). In multivariable linear regression, family support was the strongest independent predictor of better family functioning (B = − 4.077, p < 0.001). Conclusion Better family support significantly improves family functioning, while social support has only a modest impact on reducing participation restrictions among individuals with spinal cord injury in Bangladesh.