Affiliations: [a] Division of Neurosurgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| [b] Faculty of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Center, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Zeina Nasser MPH, PhD, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Center,
Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon. Tel.: +961 1610923; Fax: +961 1610923; E-mail: z.nasser@ul.edu.lb.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a permanent disability which negatively affects individuals’ health and particularly their quality of life. OBJECTIVE:To assess the quality of life (QoL) among Lebanese men with spinal cord injury and to compare it to a healthy control group. METHODS:A case control study was conducted. Fifty-one Lebanese patients with spinal cord injury and 51 age– sex-matched healthy persons were included in the study. RESULTS:Compared to healthy controls, the mean scores of eight domains of SF-36 were significantly lower in SCI group: physical functioning (PF) (26.5 vs 87; p value <0.0001), role limitations due to physical (RP) (57.8 vs 93.6; p value <0.0001), bodily pain (BP) (60.5 vs 90.7; p value, 0.0001), general health (GH) (49.5 vs 76.6; p value <0.0001), vitality (VT) (51.2 vs 71.3; p value <0.0001), social functioning (SF) (68.9 vs 91.2; p value <0.0001), role limitations due to emotional problems (RE) (71.2 vs 91.5; p value 0.003) and mental health (MH) (62.9 vs 79; p value <0.0001). Concerning PCS and MCS scores, SCI patients reported significantly lower scores than control group (p value <0.0001). CONCLUSION:Participants with SCI reported reduced QoL in comparison with normal individuals.
Keywords: Spinal cord injury, Lebanon, case control, quality of life, SF-36
