Behavioral Risk Factors of Mortality After Spinal Cord Injury

This study investigates how behaviors like smoking, drinking, and medication use affect how long people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) live. It looks at these behaviors in addition to factors like the severity of their injury and their age. The study found that certain behaviors, such as smoking, binge drinking, using prescription medications, and spending less time out of bed, were linked to a higher risk of death. Addressing these behaviors could help people with SCI live longer. Rehabilitation programs should consider including interventions targeting risky behaviors to improve the long-term health and survival of individuals with SCI.

• 1
  Smoking, binge drinking, prescription medication use, and less time out of bed are significant behavioral predictors of mortality after SCI.
• 2
  Including behavioral variables in a predictive model enhances the prediction of mortality beyond biographic and injury variables alone.
• 3
  Participants with the most severe injuries (C1-4, nonfunctional) had the greatest hazard (3.22) compared with those with the least severe injuries (ambulatory).