Changes and Determinants of Life Satisfaction After Spinal Cord Injury: A Cohort Study in The Netherlands
published online 04 August 2008.
Abstract
van Koppenhagen CF, Post MW, van der Woude LH, de Witte LP, van Asbeck FW, de Groot S, van den Heuvel W, Lindeman E. Changes and determinants of life satisfaction after spinal cord injury: a cohort study in The Netherlands.
Objective
To determine the impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) on life satisfaction of persons with SCI 1 year after discharge of inpatient rehabilitation.
Design
A cohort study. Life satisfaction before SCI was retrospectively measured at the start of active rehabilitation. One year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, current life satisfaction was measured.
Setting
Eight rehabilitation centers in The Netherlands.
Participants
Persons (N=147) aged 18 to 65 and wheelchair-dependent at least for long distances.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure
The Life Satisfaction Questionnaire.
Results
Mean satisfaction with life ± SD as a whole was 5.3±0 before SCI and 4.3±1.3 one year after inpatient rehabilitation. Sexual life, self-care, and vocational situation showed the largest impact of SCI (P<.05), whereas the social relationships domains appeared to be the least affected. Decrease of life satisfaction after SCI was larger when using the retrospective ratings than when using general population scores. Significant determinants of life satisfaction after SCI were high lesion level (β=.31, P<.05), pain (β=.19, P<.05), and secondary impairments (β=.22, P<.05).
Conclusions
Life satisfaction decreased in persons with SCI. Level of lesion and suffering secondary impairments or pain were associated with low life satisfaction 1 year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.
aDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
bFaculty of Human Movement Sciences, Free University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
cRehabiliation Centre De Hoogstraat, Utrecht, The Netherlands
dInstitute for Rehabilitation Research, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands
Reprint requests to Casper F. van Koppenhagen, MD, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation Center Utrecht, PO Box 85238, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 3583 TM
Supported by the Health Research and Development Council of the Netherlands (grant no. 1435.0003).
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.
ABSTRACT