Bladder management and quality of life after spinal cord injury

Objective: This study examines the quality of life among individuals with s pinal cord injury requiring assistance for bowel and bladder management vs. those with independent control of bowel and bladder. Design: Two groups of 53 individuals each were matched case for case on age , education, sex, race, and lesion level. Outcome measures included the Sat isfaction With Life Scale, the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Tech nique (CHART), and the SF-12. Results: Satisfaction with life was significantly lower among dependent ind ividuals with impaired bowel and bladder functioning as compared with indiv iduals with independent bowel and bladder control. Similarly, dependent ind ividuals reported greater self-reported handicap (CHART) than independent i ndividuals in the areas of physical independence, mobility, and occupationa l functioning. However, dependent and independent individuals did not diffe r in the areas of social integration and economic self-sufficiency. Item an alysis on the CHART item assessing number of social contacts initiated in t he previous month suggested that dependent individuals may have difficulty initiating new social contacts. Independent individuals reported better ove rall physical health (SF-12) than dependent individuals. Mental health (SF- 12), however, did not differ across groups. Conclusions: Individuals with impaired bowel and bladder control reported l ower quality of life on several domains compared with those with independen t control of bowel and bladder. Though the two groups did not differ in sel f-reported social integration, dependent individuals may have greater diffi culty creating new social relationships.