Article

OBJECTIVE: To identify different life satisfaction trajectories in the period
between the start of active spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation and 5 years
after discharge, and to find predictors for distinguishing between trajectories.
The hypotheses were that different life satisfaction trajectories would be
identified and that demographic, lesion, physical, and social characteristics
would be predictors of life satisfaction trajectory membership. DESIGN:
Multicenter prospective cohort study with measurements at the start of active
rehabilitation, after 3 months, at discharge, and 1, 2, and 5 years after
discharge. SETTING: Eight Dutch rehabilitation centers with specialized SCI
units. PARTICIPANTS: Persons (N=225) with recently acquired SCI between the ages
of 18 and 65 years were included, and data from 206 persons were analyzed.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Life satisfaction was
measured as the sum score of "current life satisfaction" and "current life
satisfaction compared with life satisfaction before SCI" (range, 2-13). RESULTS:
Five life satisfaction trajectories were identified by using latent class growth
mixture modeling: (1) low median scores (3-5) at all time points (27%), (2)
intermediate scores (6-7) at all time points (31%), (3) high scores (8-10.5) at
all time points (17%), (4) improvements from 3 to 9 (23%), and (5) deterioration
from 9 to 4 (2%). Logistic regression showed that predictors of the low versus
high life satisfaction trajectory were functional independence and pain.
Predictors of the low life satisfaction versus the recovery trajectory were sex
and functional independence. These predictors explained only a small part of the
total variance. CONCLUSIONS: Life satisfaction in people with SCI follows
distinct trajectories. Monitoring life satisfaction at the start of active
rehabilitation and 3 months later might allow identification of persons at risk
for poor long-term adjustment.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS