title: Comparison of disability and quality of life between patients with pediatric and adult onset paraplegia.
abstract: To investigate the factors that affect disability and quality of life in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and to compare the degree of disability and quality of life in patients with SCI according to over and under 18 years of age when their injury occurred.
  
  
  
  Cohort study.
  
  
  
  Two academic hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey.
  
  
  
  Forty patients with SCI were included in this study. Group 1 included 20 patients with SCI who were younger than 18 years of age when their injury occurred, Group 2 included 20 patients who were older than 18 years of age when their injury occurred.
  
  
  
  Patients' demographics, duration of SCI and degree of disability were assessed using the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART). Quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Short Form (WHOQOL-Bref). Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
  
  
  
  Although there was no significant difference between the BDI scores and CHART scores of the two groups, environment domain scores in the WHOQOL-Bref were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between age of SCI onset, disease duration, ASIA scores, depression scores, total CHART scores for all patients.
  
  
  
  Adaptation to environment was significantly better in those who suffered SCI during adulthood than in pediatric patients with SCI. Disability level was not associated with age of disease onset, disease duration, neurological status, depression level.
authors.affiliation: a Private Konak Medical Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Sakarya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Hanife
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duzgun Celik
authors.affiliation: b Hitit University Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Corum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cagliyan Turk
authors.affiliation: c Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Denizli , Turkey.
authors.forename: Fusun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: d Hamidiye Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: d Hamidiye Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuran
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016138:Walking
keywords: Adult onset; Pediatric onset; Quality of life; Spinal cord injury