Race-ethnicity and Poverty after Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to significant financial strain due to medical costs, care needs, and lost income. The study highlights that race and ethnicity are related to economic outcomes after SCI. Non-Hispanic Whites tend to have the highest employment rates after SCI, while non-Whites and Hispanics often face lower earnings and increased poverty rates. The study found that non-Hispanic Blacks with SCI have a significantly higher risk of living in poverty compared to non-Hispanic Whites, even after considering factors like education and employment.

• 1
  Non-Hispanic Blacks had 2.75 greater odds of living in poverty after controlling for other factors, including education and employment.
• 2
  Only 14% of non-Hispanic White participants were below the poverty level, while 41.3% of non-Hispanic Blacks were in poverty.
• 3
  Employment status was a powerful predictor of poverty, with greater odds of poverty experienced by those who had never been employed since SCI onset and those who had been employed but were currently unemployed.