|
Abstract
|
OBJECTIVE: To describe individual level temporal change in life satisfaction following spinal cord injury.
DESIGN: Individual growth curve (IGC) analysis of prospectively collected data from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) National Spinal Cord Injury Database (NSCID). SETTING: Multi-center longitudinal database study. PARTICIPANTS: Participants in the NSCID. INTERVENTIONS: N/A MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Rasch transformed Satisfaction with Life Scale scores.
RESULTS: Individual level trajectories reflecting life satisfaction vary extensively and are associated with demographic and injury-related characteristics. Demographic characteristics include race, gender, pre-employment and discharge marital status, and level of education; injury-related factors include days in rehabilitation, neurological level, age at injury, and injury etiology.
RESULTS are displayed graphically by way of a computer generated interactive tool and represent different trajectories of individual level changes in life satisfaction.
CONCLUSIONS: Individual growth curve methodology allows researchers and clinicians to anticipate patient-specific trajectories through use of an automated interactive tool. Projected trajectories hold promise in facilitating planning for inpatient and outpatient services, which could enhance long term outcomes.
Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Language: en |