Preventive services and health behaviors among people with spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND/
OBJECTIVE: To document receipt of certain understudied preventive services and health behaviors in spinal cord injury (SCI) and to compare them to the general adult population.
METHODS: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ninety-nine community-living adults with SCI residing in New Jersey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Receipt of recommended general preventive health services, such as screening for colorectal and prostate cancer and dental examinations, and health-related behaviors, including injury prevention, obesity, and tobacco use, as assessed by survey items in the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System.
RESULTS: Deficiencies in provision of needed preventive services were evident but were similar to those noted in the general adult population. Among participants 50 years of age or older, 47% had not had either a stool test for occult blood in the last year or a sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy in the last 5 years. While 43.9% of participants were overweight or obese and 46.3% of these were trying to lose weight, only 1 3.8% had been counseled to lose weight. Twenty-two percent smoked on at least some days. Safety problems were evident: 15.5% did not use seatbelts consistently; 44% had not discussed a fire escape plan at home; and smoke detectors were often not checked adequately. Twelve and a half percent of participants reported having injuries during the last year, and fully 75% of these were related to SCI. Emergency room use and hospitalization were frequent. Participants had a median of 3 to 5 current doctors.
CONCLUSIONS: Persons with SCI need the general screening and safety services recommended for all persons. Enhanced efforts will be needed to meet national goals in Healthy People 2010 in SCI.