Health-related quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury in Colombia, South America.

OBJECTIVE

To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in Neiva, Colombia.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

PARTICIPANTS/METHODS: 40 Colombians with SCI and 42 age- and gender-matched controls completed the SF-36, a self-report measure composed of eight component areas (physical health problems, role limitations due to personal or emotional problems, emotional well-being, social functioning, energy/fatigue, and general health perceptions).

RESULTS

Compared to healthy controls, individuals with SCI had significantly lower means on five SF-36 subscales: physical functioning (22.5 vs. 94.0; p < 0.001), role limitations due to physical problems (54.4 vs. 77.4; p < 0.01), social functioning (67.5 vs. 80.1; p < 0.05), pain (65.4 vs. 79.5; p < 0.01), and general health (54.9 vs. 69.4; p < 0.01). Both groups scored similarly on the SF-36 emotional well-being subscale.

CONCLUSION

Individuals with SCI from Neiva, Colombia report having poorer quality of life across various domains than healthy controls, primarily in the area of physical functioning. These findings suggest the need for rehabilitation health professionals to develop and implement interventions to improve HRQOL in individuals with SCI.