The relationship between health behaviors and emergency department visits and hospitalizations after traumatic spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To identify demographic, injury, and behavioral predictors of emergency department (ED) visits and ED-related hospitalizations among individuals with chronic traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).

SETTING

An academic medical center in the Southeastern United States.

METHODS

4057 participants who were at least 18 years of age and 1 year post traumatic SCI with residual neurologic impairment were identified from three cohorts: a rehabilitation specialty hospital in the Southeastern USA and two SCI Surveillance System Registries, one in the Midwestern and one in the Southeastern USA. The participants completed a self-reported assessment on ED visits and ED hospitalizations (yes/no) in the past 12 months. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between ED visits/hospitalizations and eight behavioral indicators, including body weight, healthy diet, drinking, smoking, non-medical substance usage, prescription medication usage, prescription medication misuse, and the planned exercise.

RESULTS

During the study period, 41% of participants reported having at least one ED visit and 21% participants reported hospitalization after ED visit in the past 12 months. High frequency of prescription medication usage, prescription medication misuse, and lack of planned exercise were associated with greater odds of at least one ED visit and at least one ED-related hospitalization, while smoking was only associated with ED visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Health care professionals should be aware that ED visit and related hospitalization prevalence remain high among people with chronic SCI, and there is significant need for intervention of managing risk behaviors and promoting healthy behaviors after SCI.