Participation and Life Satisfaction in Aged People with Spinal Cord Injury: Does Age at Onset Make a Difference?

Few studies have reported on outcomes in samples of elderly people with SCI and the impact of the age at onset of SCI is unclear.

To study levels of participation and life satisfaction in individuals with SCI aged 65 years or older and to analyze differences in participation and life satisfaction scores between individuals injured before or after 50 years of age.

This cross-sectional survey included 128 individuals with SCI who were at least 65 years old. Age at onset was dichotomized as <50 or ≥ 50 years of age. Participation was measured with the Frequency scale of the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation-Participation, and life satisfaction was measured with 5 items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life abbreviated form.

Participants who were injured before 50 years of age showed similar levels of functional status and numbers of secondary health conditions but higher participation and life satisfaction scores compared to participants injured at older age. In the multiple regression analysis of participation, lower current age, higher education, and having paraplegia were significant independent determinants of increased participation (explained variance, 25.7%). In the regression analysis of life satisfaction, lower age at onset and higher education were significant independent determinants of higher life satisfaction (explained variance, 15.3%).

Lower age at onset was associated with better participation and life satisfaction. This study did not reveal indications for worsening participation or life satisfaction due to an accelerated aging effect in this sample of persons with SCI.