Risk of hospitalizations after spinal cord injury: Relationship with biographic, injury, educational, and behavioral factors

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risk factors associated with hospitalization and the relationship of individual health behaviors with hospitalizations following spinal cord injury (SCI). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: A large specialty hospital in the Southeastern USA. METHODS: Persons with SCI responded (n=1386) to a mail survey assessing various aspects of their health including health behaviors and number of hospitalizations in the past year. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationships between biographic, injury, educational, and health behavior factors with hospitalization in the past year. RESULTS: Overall, 36.6% of participants were hospitalized on at least one occasion during the previous year. Two biographic and injury characteristics were associated with hospitalization: race and SCI severity. Specifically, minorities and persons with non-motor functional high cervical or non-cervical SCI (ASIA grades A–C) were more likely to be hospitalized. Three behavioral factors were significantly associated with hospitalization after controlling for biographic and injury characteristics. Persons who used prescription medications, those who engaged more in smoking behaviors, and persons who reported more SCI specific health behaviors were more likely to be hospitalized. CONCLUSION: Specific health behaviors are associated with increased hospitalization among persons with SCI. Future research is needed to assessing the time-sequence of these relationships.