title: Health conditions in people with spinal cord injury: Contemporary evidence from a population-based community survey in Switzerland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health conditions in people with spinal cord injury are major determinants for disability, reduced well-being, and mortality. However, population-based evidence on the prevalence and treatment of health conditions in people with spinal cord injury is scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate health conditions in Swiss residents with spinal cord injury, specifically to analyse their prevalence, severity, co-occurrence, and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data (n = 1,549) from the community survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury (SwiSCI) cohort study, including Swiss residents with spinal cord injury aged over 16 years, were analysed. Nineteen health conditions and their self-reported treatment were assessed with the spinal cord injury Secondary Conditions Scale and the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire. Prevalence and severity were compared across demographics and spinal cord injury characteristics. Co-occurrence of health conditions was examined using a binary non-metric dissimilarity measure and multi-dimensional scaling. Treatment rates were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Number of concurrent health conditions was high (median 7; interquartile range 4-9; most frequent: spasticity, chronic pain, sexual dysfunction). Prevalence of health conditions increased with age and was higher in non-traumatic compared with traumatic spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury specific conditions co-occurred. Relative frequencies of treatment were low (median 44%, interquartile range 25-64%), even for significant or chronic problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high prevalence of multimorbidity was found in community-dwelling persons with spinal cord injury. Treatment for some highly prevalent health conditions was infrequent.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Paraplegic Research, Guido A. Zäch Strasse 4, CH-6207 Nottwil, Switzer-land. E-mail: martin.brinkhof@paraplegie.ch.
authors.forename: Martin W G
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Brinkhof
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Khodairy
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eriks-Hoogland
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fekete
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hinrichs
authors.forename: Margret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hund-Georgiadis
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scheel-Sailer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: Jan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology