Chronologic age, time since injury, and time of measurement: effect on adjustment after spinal cord injury

People are now living longer after spinal cord injury (SCI), yet only limited research has addressed the issue of aging and adjustment after SCI. The purpose of this study was to use a time-sequential design to identify the relationship between adjustment after SCI and three facets of aging; chronologic age, time since injury, and time of measurement. Life Situation Questionnaires were obtained from one sample of participants with SCI in 1974 (n = 256) and from a second sample in 1985 (n = 193). Participants were grouped into five cohorts based on chronologic age, five cohorts based on time since injury, and two groups based on time of measurement (1974, 1985). Two two-way MANOVA's were performed, one between chronologic age and time of measurement, and the other between time since injury and time of measurement. Results indicated that chronologic age and time since injury often worked in opposing directions; as some aspects of adjustment declined with greater chronologic age, but other aspects improved with increasing time since injury. Activity was strongly related to chronologic age, but medical stability was more strongly related to time since injury. Both chronologic age and time since injury were correlated with some aspects of life satisfaction. Comparisons between the two times of measurement (1974, 1985) indicated some limited positive changes in adjustment with time. The results point to the complexity of the relationship between aging and adjustment and the need for rehabilitation professionals to consider multiple aging factors.