title: Weight change after spinal cord injury.
abstract: To study the patterns of weight change after spinal cord injury (SCI) and identify associated risk factors.
  
  
  
  Cohort study.
  
  
  
  Sixteen Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS), USA.
  
  
  
  One thousand and ninety-four individuals with an SCI who were entered into the SCIMS and had a 1-year follow-up between October 2006 and November 2012.
  
  
  
  Not applicable.
  
  
  
  Change in body mass index (BMI) during the first year of injury. Height and weight were assessed during inpatient rehabilitation and 1 year after injury.
  
  
  
  Mean BMI decreased from 26.3 to 25.8 kg/m² during the first year after SCI (mean change: -0.5 kg/m² (standard deviation: 3.58)). Weight loss was mainly observed among individuals classified as overweight or obese during rehabilitation (n  =  576) with a BMI decrease of 1.4 kg/m², which varied significantly by sex, education, neurological level, and the presence of vertebral injury. Weight gain was noted among individuals classified as underweight or normal weight during rehabilitation (n = 518) with a BMI increase of 0.5 kg/m², with the greatest increase among individuals of Hispanic origin (1.2 kg/m²), other marital status (1.2 kg/m²), age group 31-45 years (1.1 kg/m²), with less than high school education (1.1 kg/m²), without spinal surgery (0.9 kg/m²), and with motor functionally incomplete injury (0.8 kg/m²).
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest that strategies for weight management should be addressed after a SCI to ameliorate the potential for unhealthful weight change, particularly among at-risk groups.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL , USA.|b Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL , USA.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: b Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL , USA.|c Department of Epidemiology , School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL , USA.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Affuso
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL , USA.|b Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL , USA.
authors.forename: Yuying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation
keywords: Body mass index; Obesity; Rehabilitation; Spinal cord injury