Sport, free time and hobbies in people with spinal cord injury

Prospective, multicenter follow-up (F-U) observational study.

To investigate the changes in participation and sports practice of people after spinal cord injury (SCI) and their impact on perceived quality of life (QoL).

The questionnaire investigated the health status and management of clinical conditions and attendance of social integration, occupation, autonomy, car driving, sentimental relationships and perceived QoL in a SCI population 4 years after the first rehabilitation hospitalization.

Respondents were 403, 83.4% male; 39% was tetraplegic. At F-U, 42.1% worked and studied, 42.2% still held their jobs or studies, and 69% drove the car. In all, 77.2% had bowel continence and 40.4% urinary continence. The results showed that for the 68.2% of respondents, the attendance of friends, relatives and colleagues during their free time was the same or increased compared with the time before the injury, whereas 31.8% showed a decrease. The amount of time the 52.1% of respondents left home was the same or increased compared with before the trauma, whereas 50.6% of the respondents said that the time they were engaged in hobbies was either the same or increased.

SCI people who perceived their QoL as being higher, and whose attendance, autonomy and time was increased in respect to hobbies, were mainly men with an age range between 36 and 40 years, unmarried, paraplegic and with A-B Asia Score. Regarding the amount of time dedicated to practicing sports, the only difference was the most of that respondents, who indicated a decrease, were women.