Preventive services and health behaviors among people with spinal cord injury

To document receipt of certain understudied preventive services and health behaviors in spinal cord injury (SCI) and to compare them to the general adult population.

Cross-sectional survey.

One hundred ninety-nine community-living adults with SCI residing in New Jersey.

Receipt of recommended general preventive health services, such as screening for colorectal and prostate cancer and dental examinations, and health-related behaviors, including injury prevention, obesity, and tobacco use, as assessed by survey items in the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System.

Deficiencies in provision of needed preventive services were evident but were similar to those noted in the general adult population. Among participants 50 years of age or older, 47% had not had either a stool test for occult blood in the last year or a sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy in the last 5 years. While 43.9% of participants were overweight or obese and 46.3% of these were trying to lose weight, only 1 3.8% had been counseled to lose weight. Twenty-two percent smoked on at least some days. Safety problems were evident: 15.5% did not use seatbelts consistently; 44% had not discussed a fire escape plan at home; and smoke detectors were often not checked adequately. Twelve and a half percent of participants reported having injuries during the last year, and fully 75% of these were related to SCI. Emergency room use and hospitalization were frequent. Participants had a median of 3 to 5 current doctors.

Persons with SCI need the general screening and safety services recommended for all persons. Enhanced efforts will be needed to meet national goals in Healthy People 2010 in SCI.