Psychosocial and Health Outcomes of Adults With Violently Acquired Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury

• Published in: Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitation 2018-09, Vol.24 (4), p.363-370
• Main Authors: January, Alicia M, Kirk, Suzanne, Zebracki, Kathy, Chlan, Kathleen M, Vogel, Lawrence C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Age; Cross-Sectional Studies; Etiology; Female; Health care access; Health Status; Humans; Interviews; Male; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Nonviolence; Pain; Paralysis; Pediatrics; Proffered Papers; Quality of Life; Rehabilitation; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - etiology; Spinal Cord Injuries - psychology; Violence; White people; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1082-0744; 1945-5763
• DOI: 10.1310/sci17-00012

To describe the psychosocial and medical outcomes of individuals with pediatric-onset spinal cord injury (SCI) as a result of violent injuries. This was a cross-sectional study assessing adult outcomes associated with pediatric-onset SCI. Participants completed measures assessing demographics, injury characteristics, secondary conditions, and psychosocial functioning. Participants included 483 adults (ages 19-51 years; = 32.89, = 6.81) who sustained an SCI prior to age 19 (0-18 years; = 14.25, = 4.40). Participants tended to have complete injuries (68%) and tetraplegia (53%) and were predominantly male (63%) and Caucasian (85%). The violent ( = 42) and nonviolent ( = 441) etiology groups tended to be similar in terms of gender. The violent etiology (VE) group, however, was significantly more likely to have paraplegia (χ = 7.45, = .01), identify as an ethnic minority (χ = 5.40, = .02), and have decreased odds of completing a college degree (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19-0.83). After controlling for significant covariates, individuals in the VE group were more likely to have moderate depression symptoms (OR, 3.73; 95% CI, 1.35-10.30) and significantly lower odds of economic independence (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.19-0.84). The VE group was also 2 times as likely as the nonviolent group to report a pressure injury (OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.05-3.94) or activity interfering pain (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.15-4.74). The results of this study reveal significantly greater psychosocial health concerns and more medical complications for individuals with violent SCI than those with nonviolent SCI. Children with an SCI from a violent etiology may warrant additional attention and services aimed at promoting stability and long-term resilience.