Factors Associated With Quality of Life Among People With Spinal Cord Injury: Application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Model

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 93; no. 12; pp. 2264 - 2270
• Main Authors: Chang, Feng-Hang, MPH, Wang, Yen-Ho, MD, Jang, Yuh, PhD, Wang, Chih-Wen, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-12-2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Community Participation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disability Evaluation; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Health Status; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Miscellaneous. Osteoarticular involvement in other diseases; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Physical Therapy Modalities; Quality of Life; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Rehabilitation; Socioeconomic Factors; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Injuries - psychology; Spinal Cord Injuries - rehabilitation; Taiwan; Young Adult; WHOQOL; International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; World Health Organization; BI; Frenchay Activity Index; ICF; Barthel Index; Quality of life; FAI; QOL; abbreviated version of World Health Organization Quality of Life; SCI; Spinal cord injuries; Rehabilitation; World Health Organization Quality of Life; WHOQOL-BREF; WHO; Disability; Nervous system diseases; Reeducation; Orthopedics; Spinal cord trauma; Central nervous system disease; Classification; Models; Spinal cord disease
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2012.06.008

Abstract Chang F-H, Wang Y-H, Jang Y, Wang C-W. Factors associated with quality of life among people with spinal cord injury: application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Model. Objective To identify the factors that influence an individual's quality of life (QOL) after spinal cord injury (SCI) based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Design Cross-sectional exploratory study. Setting Taiwan community. Participants Community-dwelling adults (N=341) who had suffered an SCI at least 1 year previously and were between the ages of 18 and 60 years. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s) A combination of self-report questionnaire and interview. The dependent variable, QOL, was measured by the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life, while the independent variables—participation, activity, impairment, and contextual factors—were measured using the Frenchay Activity Index, Barthel Index, and a demographic form. Results Multivariate analysis results indicated that participation, activity, and marital status are significant factors in the QOL outcome. Results also indicated that among the various factors that affect each domain of QOL (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment), participation was the strongest determinant. Conclusions The ICF provided an excellent framework with which to explore the factors influencing QOL after SCI. The results demonstrated that marital status, participation, and activity exert the strongest influence on QOL, while impairment and other variables do not directly influence QOL.