Sherri L LaVela1,2, Bella Etingen1, Scott Miskevics1. 1. Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare (CINCCH), Health Services Research & Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois. 2. Center for Healthcare Studies, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Abstract
Background: Individuals with spinal cord injury/disorder (SCI/D) must learn to adjust to and manage functional challenges after SCI/D onset. For these individuals, resilience (ie, the adaptive response to stressful events) may be related to their willingness and ability to conduct self-care behaviors. Objective: The study objectives were to examine the relationship between patient-reported perceptions of independence in performing self-care behaviors and resilience among Veterans with SCI/D and to examine variables (including resilience) associated with high self-care scores (controlling for confounders). Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, we conducted bivariate analyses to examine differences in demographic, injury, and health characteristics and resilience scores for individuals with SCI/D. We conducted a multivariate block-design linear regression to examine factors associated with ability to perform self-care. Results: Level of injury (β = 7.74, P < .0001), resilience (β = 0.08, P = .0216), marital status (β = 1.75, P = .0445), and living arrangement (β = 4.37, P < .0001) were positively related to higher self-care behaviors. Completeness of injury (β = -2.79, P < .0001), age (β = -0.09, P = .0052), age at injury (β = -0.05, P = .0129), and number of comorbid health conditions (β = -0.72, P < .0001) showed negative relationships with higher self-care. Conclusions: Self-care ability is related to multiple factors, including resilience. The positive relationship between resilience and self-care suggests that greater resilience, independent of injury level/severity, may contribute to improved self-care behaviors in individuals with SCI/D. Other factors that showed a positive relationship with self-care included younger age, living alone, paraplegic level injury, and fewer health conditions. Understanding the profile of persons with SCI/D with regard to self-care behaviors is important to the development of tailored interventions to improve self-care.
Background: Individuals with spinal cord injury/disorder (SCI/D) must learn to adjust to and manage functional challenges after SCI/D onset. For these individuals, resilience (ie, the adaptive response to stressful events) may be related to their willingness and ability to conduct self-care behaviors. Objective: The study objectives were to examine the relationship between patient-reported perceptions of independence in performing self-care behaviors and resilience among Veterans with SCI/D and to examine variables (including resilience) associated with high self-care scores (controlling for confounders). Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, we conducted bivariate analyses to examine differences in demographic, injury, and health characteristics and resilience scores for individuals with SCI/D. We conducted a multivariate block-design linear regression to examine factors associated with ability to perform self-care. Results: Level of injury (β = 7.74, P < .0001), resilience (β = 0.08, P = .0216), marital status (β = 1.75, P = .0445), and living arrangement (β = 4.37, P < .0001) were positively related to higher self-care behaviors. Completeness of injury (β = -2.79, P < .0001), age (β = -0.09, P = .0052), age at injury (β = -0.05, P = .0129), and number of comorbid health conditions (β = -0.72, P < .0001) showed negative relationships with higher self-care. Conclusions: Self-care ability is related to multiple factors, including resilience. The positive relationship between resilience and self-care suggests that greater resilience, independent of injury level/severity, may contribute to improved self-care behaviors in individuals with SCI/D. Other factors that showed a positive relationship with self-care included younger age, living alone, paraplegic level injury, and fewer health conditions. Understanding the profile of persons with SCI/D with regard to self-care behaviors is important to the development of tailored interventions to improve self-care.
Entities:
Keywords:
Veterans; health behavior; resilience; self-care; spinal cord injuries
Authors: David S Tulsky; Pamela A Kisala; David Victorson; Denise Tate; Allen W Heinemann; Dagmar Amtmann; David Cella Journal: Arch Phys Med Rehabil Date: 2011-10 Impact factor: 3.966
Authors: K R Monden; Z Trost; D Catalano; A N Garner; J Symcox; S Driver; R G Hamilton; A M Warren Journal: Spinal Cord Date: 2014-01-14 Impact factor: 2.772