Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the longitudinal effects of race/ethnicity on
hospitalization among adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the 10-year period
after initial injury. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of postinjury
hospitalizations among non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic African American, and
Hispanic adults with SCI. SETTING: Community. Data were extracted from the 2011
National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems database. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with
traumatic SCI (N= 5146; white, 3175; African American, 1396; Hispanic, 575) who
received rehabilitation at one of the relevant SCI Model Systems. INTERVENTIONS:
Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hospitalization, including rate of
hospitalization, number of hospitalizations, and number of days hospitalized
during the 12 months before the first-, fifth-, and tenth-year follow-up
interviews for the SCI Model Systems. RESULTS: Significant differences were found
in rates of hospitalization at 1 and 5 years postinjury, with participants from
Hispanic backgrounds reporting lower rates than either whites or African
Americans. At 10 years postinjury, no differences were noted in the rate of
hospitalization between racial/ethnic groups; however, compared with whites
(P=.011) and Hispanics (P=.051), African Americans with SCI had 13 and 16 more
days of hospitalization, respectively. Compared with the first year postinjury,
the rate of hospitalization declined over time among whites, African Americans,
and Hispanics; however, for African Americans, the number of days hospitalized
increased by 12 days (P=.036) at 10 years versus 5 years postinjury. CONCLUSIONS:
Racial/ethnic variation appears to exist in postinjury hospitalization for
individuals with SCI, with Hispanics showing the lowest rates of hospitalization
at 1 and 5 years postinjury and African Americans having a significantly higher
number of days hospitalized at 10 years postinjury. Potential explanations for
these variations are discussed, and recommendations are made for potential
changes to policy and clinical care.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS