Abstract
As life expectancies of persons with spinal cord injuries increase, this population is aging rapidly. This trend requires that increasing attention be given to the healthcare needs of older persons with spinal cord injury. Follow up data on 11,117 persons injured since 1973 were analyzed by current age at 15-year intervals. Mean time postinjury was 4.7 years. Several trends were observed when comparing persons currently in the 16–30 year age group with persons in the oldest age group (age 76+). The percentage of persons independent in selfcare decreased from 61.9% to 29.1%. Ventilator use increased from 1.7% to 4.3%. Nursing home residence increased from 1.4% to 22.2%. The percentage of persons rehospitalized during the most recent year increased from 26.5% to 33.7%. Age was an important predictor of health status, but time postinjury was less important, perhaps due to the study's short postinjury time frame. While few differences in health status were observed in individuals between 16 and 60 years of age, persons in the oldest two age groups demonstrated lower levels of health status than younger individuals.
References
DeVivo M J, Kartus P L, Rutt R D, Stover S L, Fine P R (1990) The influence of age at time of spinal cord injury on rehabilitation outcome. Arch Neurol 47: 687–691.
DeVivo M J, Black K J, Go B K, Stover S L (1990) Effect of age on rehabilitation outcomes of spinal cord injury patients. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 71: 787.
Krause J S, Crewe N M (1991) Chronologic age, time since injury, and time of measurement: effect on adjustment after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 72: 91–100.
Whiteneck G G, Charlifue S W, Gerhart K A, Lammertse D P, Manley S, Menter R R et al editors (in press) Aging with Spinal Cord Injury. Demos Publications, New York.
Whiteneck G G, Charlifue S W, Frankel H L, Fraser M H, Gardner B P, Gerhart K A et al (in press) Mortality, morbidity, and psychosocial outcomes of persons spinal cord injured more than 20 years ago. Paraplegia.
Federal Register (1992) July 6, 57 (129): 29766–29772.
Frankel H L, Hancock D O, Hyslop G, Melzak J, Michaelis L, Ungar G et al (1969) The value of postural reduction in the initial management of closed injuries of the spine with paraplegia and tetraplegia. Paraplegia 7(part 1): 179–192.
Fleiss J L (1973) Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions. John Wiley & Sons Inc, New York: 92–108.
Kleinbaum D G, Kupper L L, Morgenstern H (1982) Epidemiologic Research: Principles and Quantitative Methods. Lifetime Learning Publications, Belmont, CA: 419–491.
Miettinen O (1976) Estimability and estimation in case-referent studies. Am J Epidemiol 103: 226–235.
Yarkony G M, Roth E J, Heinemann A W, Lovell L L (1988) Spinal cord injury rehabilitation outcome: the impact of age. J Clin Epidemiol 41: 173–177.
DeVivo M J, Stover S L, Black K J (1992) Prognostic factors for 12-year survival after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 73: 156–162.
DeVivo M J, Rutt R D, Black K J, Go B K, Stover S L (1992) Trends in spinal cord injury demographics and treatment outcomes between 1973 and 1986. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 73: 424–430.
Trieschmann R B (1987) Aging with a Disability. Demos Publications, New York: 128–132.
Menter R R (1989) Aging and spinal cord injury: implications for existing model systems and future federal, state, and local health care policy In: Spinal Cord Injury: The Model. Proceedings of the National Consensus Conference on Catastrophic Illness and Injury, December, 1989. Shepherd Center for Treatment of Spinal Injuries, Inc, Atlanta, GA: 72–80.
(1991) Aging America: Trends and Projections.
Hing E (1987) Use of nursing homes by the elderly: preliminary data from the national nursing home survey. Advance Data No. 135, National Center for Health Statistics.
National Center for Health Statistics (1989) National Hospital Discharge Survey: Annual Summary, 1987. Vital and Health Statistics Series 13 No. 99.
AHA Report (1989) Hospitals and Older Adults: Meeting the Challenge. American Hospital Association, Chicago, IL.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DeVivo, M., Shewchuk, R., Stover, S. et al. A cross-sectional study of the relationship between age and current health status for persons with spinal cord injuries. Spinal Cord 30, 820–827 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1992.158
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1992.158
Keywords
- spinal cord injury
- aging
- health status
- epidemiology
- economics
This article is cited by
-
Lipoprotein heterogeneity in persons with Spinal Cord Injury: a model of prolonged sitting and restricted physical activity
Lipids in Health and Disease (2015)
