Gastrointestinal Diagnostic Coding After Spinal Cord Injury: Health Behavior Correlates and Implications for Neurogenic Bowel Management in a Nationwide Claim-Based Cohort

TL;DR

This study examines how gastrointestinal diagnostic codes are used after spinal cord injury in a large Korean population, finding that these codes reflect management needs rather than new diseases.

Contribution

The study provides population-level evidence on the use of GI diagnostic codes after SCI in administrative healthcare systems.

Findings

Irritable bowel syndrome and functional bowel disorders were the most frequently recorded GI codes after SCI.

Higher disability severity, female sex, older age, and rural residence were linked to increased odds of GI diagnostic coding.

Physical activity was inversely associated with GI diagnostic coding, suggesting a potential role in rehabilitation.

Abstract

Background: Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) is a major chronic sequela of spinal cord injury (SCI) with substantial implications for rehabilitation and long-term management. However, population-level evidence describing how gastrointestinal (GI) diagnostic codes are used following SCI, particularly within administrative healthcare systems, remains limited. Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). A total of 584,266 adults with trauma-related SCI encounters between 2009 and 2019 were identified. GI diagnostic codes—paralytic ileus (K56), irritable bowel syndrome (K58), and functional bowel disorders (K59)—were evaluated as administrative proxies for bowel dysfunction. Demographic characteristics, disability status, regional factors, and health behaviors were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: GI diagnostic codes were frequently recorded after SCI, most commonly irritable bowel syndrome (approximately 30%) and functional bowel disorders (approximately 37%), whereas paralytic ileus was uncommon. Greater disability severity, female sex, older age, and rural residence were consistently associated with higher odds of GI diagnostic coding. Physical activity showed robust inverse associations across all models. Inverse associations observed with smoking and alcohol consumption were interpreted as reflecting residual confounding or health-related selection, rather than biological protective effects. Conclusions: Patterns of GI diagnostic coding after SCI likely reflect the clinical burden and management needs of neurogenic bowel dysfunction within healthcare systems, rather than the development of new gastrointestinal diseases. These findings underscore the importance of individualized bowel management, incorporation of structured physical activity into rehabilitation programs, and equitable access to SCI rehabilitation services, particularly for individuals with greater disability or those living in rural areas.

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