title: Health related quality of life and mental health in children with SCI/D from Neiva, Colombia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To date, no research has been published on the health related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health of children with spinal cord injury and disorders (SCI/D) in Latin America, although limited previous research in Western countries has demonstrated the debilitating and chronic nature of these conditions in children. The aim was to examine the connections between HRQOL and mental health in children with SCI/D from Neiva, Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty children (8- 17 years) were recruited from the Hospital Universatario Hernando Mocaleano Perdomo in Neiva, Colombia. Participants completed self-report measures administered verbally by trained research staff.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A correlation matrix generally suggested that higher HRQOL was robustly associated with better mental health. A series of multiple regressions found that HRQOL explained 50.5% of the variance in children's depression, 31.5% of the variance in worry, and 41.9% of the variance in social anxiety. Within these regressions, emotional and social functioning were uniquely associated with depression, and emotional functioning was uniquely associated with social anxiety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first published study to examine psychosocial outcomes in children with SCI/D in Latin America, and its findings suggest that future research and interventions for children with SCI/D in Colombia - and possibly in other regions of Latin America - would benefit from emphasizing emotional and social functioning.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Gillian G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Leibach
authors.affiliation: Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.affiliation: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.affiliation: Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leonor Olivera
authors.affiliation: Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medina Quintero
authors.affiliation: Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mauricio Velasco Trujillo
authors.affiliation: IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carlos Arango-Lasprilla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003105:Colombia; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Child SCI/D; HRQOL; Latin America; anxiety; depression