M. Kannisto et H. Sintonen, LATER HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN ADULTS WHO HAVE SUSTAINED SPINAL-CORD INJURY IN CHILDHOOD, Spinal cord, 35(11), 1997, pp. 747-751
The outcome in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in pedia
tric spinal cord injury (SCI) was studied in 36 adults who had sustain
ed an SCI in childhood. The patients were interviewed and clinically e
xamined. HRQL was assessed with the 15D, a generic fifteen-dimensional
self-administered HRQL instrument. The 15 multiple-level dimensions a
re moving, seeing, hearing, breathing, sleeping, eating, communicating
, urinary continence, working, social participation, mental functionin
g, pain, depression, distress and perceived health. The respondents ch
oose, for each dimension, the level that best describe their health st
atus. In the 15D valuation system the respondents first assign a relat
ive importance weight to each dimension and then a relative value to t
he levels on each dimension. To derive the 15D HRQL score on a 0-1 sca
le the level values and importance weights are multiplied and combined
with the levels chosen. The average HRQL score of this SCI group was
significantly lower than that measured in the population sample. The a
verage importance weights assigned by the SCI group differed significa
ntly (P<0.05) from those assigned by the general population on several
dimensions. The weights assigned by the SCI group were higher for the
dimensions of mental functioning, communicating, social participation
and seeing and lower for moving, working, sleeping and eating. These
differences in valuing the dimensions of HRQL can influence behaviour
and should therefore be taken into consideration in rehabilitation.