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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jennifer L. Rowland, PhD, MPH, PT, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Road, Room 607, Chicago, IL 60608, (312) 523-4236, jenrow@uic.edu and Glen W. White, PhD, Research and Training Center on Independent Living, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Dole 4089, Lawrence, KS 66045.

People with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) are at risk for developing secondary conditions such as pressure sores, urinary tract infections, pain, weight gain and deconditioning, and depression. This study analyzed the effectivenesss of an online assessment and feedback tool in determining secondary condition risk for this population based on results of a knowledge and behavioral questionnaire. Sixty seven people with newly-diagnosed SCI who were treated at one of five Model SCI Systems Centers participated. Results indicated there were significant differences among race groups and between complete and incomplete injury status for pressure sore occurrence. Black and Hispanic participants reported higher frequencies of pressure sores, and those with complete injuries reported more pressure sores than those with incomplete injuries. Females had higher depression levels than males. This study represents a new era of interactive technology in health promotion that can serve as a basis for future research to decrease secondary condition risk for people with SCI. This project was funded by grant #H133B980016 from the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in collaboration with Spain Rehabilitation at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Learning Objectives:

• To gain knowledge of risk factors for 5 secondary conditions common for people with spinal cord injuries;
• To learn about differences in demographic factors for secondary condition risk in one sample of people with spinal cord injuries;
• To learn about an online intervention developed to reduce secondary condition risk for people with newly-diagnosed spinal cord injuries

Keywords: Disability Studies,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered