@article{ref1,
title="Effects of Age, Gender, and Socio-economic Status on the Incidence of Spinal Cord Injury: An Assessment Using the Eleven-Year Comprehensive Nationwide Database of Taiwan",
journal="Journal of neurotrauma",
year="2012",
author="Wu, Jau-Ching and Chen, Yu-Chun and Liu, Laura and Chen, Tzeng-Ji and Huang, Wen-Cheng and Cheng, Henrich and Su, Tung-Ping",
volume="29",
number="5",
pages="889-897",
abstract="This study used an 11-year nationwide database to analyze the incidences of spinal cord injury (SCI) in subgroups by age, gender, injury level, etiology, and socio-economic status. The National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan covering over 99% of the population accumulated from 1998 to 2008 was analyzed. All SCI patients older than 20 years of age and admitted to medical services were identified. Of the 168,832,051.4 person-years, 41,586 newly established diagnoses of SCI were identified, for a SCI incidence of 2.46 per 10,000-person-year, and 61.2% were traumatic. Cervical SCI was the highest at 1.28, followed by lumbar 0.56, and thoracic 0.30 per 10,000-person-year. Males were more likely to have SCI (HR=1.52). Compared to the age group of 20-39 years, the 40-59 year old group and the group aged >60 years were more likely to have SCI (HR=1.66 and 2.12, respectively). Those with the lowest insurance premium (which represents income level) were more likely to suffer from SCI compared to the highest insurance premium group (HR=1.86). Those living in the eastern area were more likely to have SCI than in the northern area (where political and economic centers are located) (HR=1.52). Those in the most rural area were more likely (HR=1.69) to have SCI than those in the most urbanized areas. The overall national incidence of adult SCI in Taiwan was 246 per million-person-year. Several groups, such as elderly males with lower socio-economic status, were more likely to experience SCI.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0897-7151",
doi="10.1089/neu.2011.1777",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/neu.2011.1777"
}