Health-related quality of life in persons with long-standing spinal cord injury
I B Lidal1, M Veenstra, N Hjeltnes
1Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Oslo, Nesoddtangen, Norway. ingeborg.lidal@sunnaas.no
Study Design:
A cross-sectional study of all patients with traumatic SCI admitted to Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Norway between 1961 and 1982.
Objectives:
To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in persons with long-standing traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in Norway.
Setting:
Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Norway.
Methods:
Survey data and clinical examination of 165 persons with traumatic SCI of more than 20 years duration. HRQOL was assessed with the Norwegian 36-item short-form [corrected] (SF-36) Health Survey. The SF-36 results were compared with Norwegian norm data adjusted to age and gender. Differences in HRQOL between subgroups were studied.
Results:
The persons with SCI exhibited significantly decreased HRQOL in the subscales for Physical Functioning, Bodily Pain, General Health, Social Functioning [corrected] and Vitality compared to the normal population. There were relatively small differences in HRQOL when comparing persons with paraplegia versus tetraplegia and persons with AIS (ASIA Impairment Scale; ASIA, American Spinal Injury Association) A-C versus D-E. Employed persons reported higher HRQOL compared to unemployed persons. HRQOL of individuals reporting health problems or symptoms was worse than those of individuals reporting no health problems at all.
Conclusion:
HRQOL is decreased in persons with long-standing SCI and especially in persons with comorbidity conditions.
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