Trajectories and associated factors of quality of life, global outcome, and post-concussion symptoms in the first year following mild traumatic brain injury.

PURPOSE

To investigate the associated factors and change trajectories of quality of life (QoL), global outcome, and post-concussion symptoms (PCS) over the first year following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

METHODS

This was a prospective longitudinal study of 100 participants with mTBI from neurosurgical outpatient departments in Chiayi County District Hospitals in Taiwan. The checklist of post-concussion syndromes (CPCS) was used to assess PCS at enrollment and at 1, 3, and 12 months after mTBI; the glasgow outcome scale extended (GOSE), the quality of life after brain injured (QOLIBRI), Chinese version, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), Taiwan version, were used to assess mTBI global outcome and QoL at 1, 3, and 12 months after mTBI.

RESULTS

Latent class growth models (LCGMs) indicated the change trajectories of QOLIBRI, PCS SF-36, MCS SF-36, GOSE, and PCS. Classes of trajectory were associated with age ≥40 years, unemployment at 1 month after injury, and educational level ≤12 years. Univariate analysis revealed that employment status at 1 month post-injury was correlated with the trajectories of QOLIBRI, PCS SF-36, MCS SF-36, and GOSE, but not PCS.

CONCLUSIONS

Employment status was the most crucial associated factor for QoL in individuals with mTBI at the 1-year follow-up. Future studies should explore the benefits of employment on QoL of individuals with mTBI.