# Demographic and Clinical Correlates of Quality of Life Domains in Spinal Cord Injury

## TL;DR

This study finds that age, gender, and living situation influence quality of life after spinal cord injury, with older adults and those living alone facing more challenges in social and psychological well-being.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific demographic and clinical factors affecting quality of life domains in spinal cord injury patients.

## Key findings

- Older adults and those living alone have lower social and psychological well-being after spinal cord injury.
- Psychological quality of life is significantly lower in females and those living alone.
- Physical health shows a weak negative association with age in spinal cord injury patients.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
Age, gender, and living situation shape quality of life after spinal cord injury.Social and psychological well-being are particularly affected in older adults and those living alone.

Age, gender, and living situation shape quality of life after spinal cord injury.

Social and psychological well-being are particularly affected in older adults and those living alone.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Regular Quality of Life assessments can guide personalized rehab plans.Tailored interventions targeting vulnerable groups may boost recovery and community reintegration.

Regular Quality of Life assessments can guide personalized rehab plans.

Tailored interventions targeting vulnerable groups may boost recovery and community reintegration.

Background/Objectives: In patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), quality of life (QoL) is increasingly recognized as an important indicator of their ability to sustain both the rehabilitation process and post-rehabilitation community reintegration, and it plays a crucial role in prognosis. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the demographic and clinical correlates of different QoL domains as perceived by patients hospitalized after SCI. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on a single day in the units of the Montecatone Rehabilitation Institute (MRI), the largest Italian center for intensive rehabilitation of individuals with SCI. We administered the World Health Organization Quality of Life–Short Version (WHOQOL-BREF), which consists of 26 items rated on a five-point Likert scale. Study participants included 88 adults with SCI; a total of 74% were male, with a mean age of 53.3 years (SD = 15.05). The lesion was traumatic in 74% of cases and complete in 59%. Physical health showed a weak negative association with age (r = −0.213, p = 0.05), whereas social QoL demonstrated a significant positive association with age (r = 0.215, p = 0.046). Psychological QoL was significantly lower in females compared with males (46.9 vs. 55.1, p < 0.05) and in patients living alone compared with those not living alone (46.1 vs. 54.6, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Clinicians should consider routine assessment of QoL to personalize post-discharge therapeutic plans and to implement targeted interventions aimed at improving outcomes in patients with SCI.