Community-based study of health-related quality of life in spinal cord injury,muscular dystrophy,multiple sclerosis,and cerebral palsy

Purpose: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI), muscular dystrophy (MD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: This is a multicenter, community-based, cross-sectional study of adults diagnosed with CP (94), MD (99), MS (98), SCI (99), and healthy adults (105). The WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-DIS questionnaire were used. Results: Significant differences in physical functioning between adults with CP and SCI and adults with MS (p?=?0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively), as well as between adults with SCI and MD (p?=?0.001) were found. Univariate tests revealed significant psychological functioning differences between adults with SCI and MD (p?=?0.02) and SCI and MS (p?=?0.001). There was a significant difference in physical functioning between controls and adults with SCI (p?=?0.049) and a significant difference in psychological functioning between controls and adults with MS (p?=?0.039). No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in social and environmental domains. Conclusions: Physical and physiological functioning were affected to various degrees in the studied neurodisabilities, while all groups reported similar levels of functioning and well-being in social and environmental domains.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults with neurodisabilities living in a community differs from HRQOL in these individuals sampled in clinical and/or rehabilitation settings.

• Psychosocial aspects of HRQOL relevant to physical disability were similarly affected across those groups.

• Physical and physiological domains in HRQOL were affected to various degrees among adults with neurodisabilities living in a community.

• Levels of functioning and well-being in social and environment domains of HRQOL are similar among adults with neurodisabilities living in a community.

• Community-based study of health-related quality of life in spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy.