The purpose of this study was to investigate the health outcomes of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in rural settings as compared to people with SCI living in urban settings. The health of people in rural areas consistently has been found to be poorer than those in urban areas, but this rarely has been studied in people with disabilities. Social support (SS) has been another factor found to affect health outcomes in several populations. The purpose of this study was to identify the health outcomes of people with SCI in rural and urban settings, and to determine if SS had a mediating effect. Participants were people with SCI living in rural (n=328) or urban settings (n=664) who had completed a comprehensive health survey. Student’s t test and chi square analyses were performed to determine differences in health outcomes between those living in a rural or urban setting and those with high or low SS. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the mediating effect of SS. It was found that people with SCI living in a rural setting had similar health outcomes to those living in an urban setting. Significant differences were found between those with high and low SS, regardless of setting. A mediating effect of SS on health outcomes was not found. The results of this study have implications on public health due to the increasing numbers of persons with disabilities living in rural areas along with the decreasing numbers of health care facilities in rural areas.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to identify the health outcomes of people with spinal cord injury who live in rural areas as they compare with those in urban areas.
Keywords: Special Populations, Rural Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.