Predictors of marital longevity after new spinal cord injury.
METHODS
Prospective cohort design of married persons with new spinal cord injury (SCI).


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship of demographic and injury characteristics, self-rated health, physical functioning, and life satisfaction to the duration of marriage 1 to 15 years after SCI among individuals who were married at the time of injury.


METHODS
United States.


METHODS
Survival analysis was chosen to determine the predictors related to marital longevity, which is defined as non-occurrence of divorce after injury. In all, 2327 subjects were included in the analyses. Predictors were demographics and injury characteristics, level of handicap, self-perceived health, and functional independence.


RESULTS
Age at injury, being Caucasian vs African American, having a college education vs high school, having 'other' employment status vs being unemployed, having higher social integration and improved or stable self-rated health vs poor health were all significant factors that delayed the time of divorce after injury. Contrary to expectations, level of injury, function, mobility and independence were not significant predictors of marriage longevity.


CONCLUSIONS
Social integration and health perception, the most powerful indicators of marriage longevity, can be addressed and facilitated by health care providers and rehabilitation programs.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. dunia@med.umich.edu
D
D
Karana-Zebari
M B
MB
de Leon
C Z
CZ
Kalpakjian
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards