ABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the associations among the quality of couple relationship, perceived social support and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: The study was conducted in Italy. METHODS: Forty-three persons with SCI were administered questionnaires for the evaluation of relationship quality (Dyadic Adjustment Scale), perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) and HRQoL (Short Form 36). RESULTS: Many significant correlations between the scores of relationship quality and social support were detected. Relationship quality also correlated with relevant measures of HRQoL, such as Mental Health and Vitality. No correlation between spousal support and HRQoL was found, whereas friends' support correlated with Physical Role Functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Data suggest that the perception of social support is strictly related to relationship quality and that marital satisfaction might be related to relevant aspects of HRQoL more likely than social support itself.
Subject(s)
Interpersonal Relations , Quality of Life/psychology , Social Support , Spinal Cord Injuries/psychology , Spouses/psychology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Perception , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional. OBJECTIVES: To examine associations among functional status, health-related and individualised quality of life (QoL) and coping style in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Italy. METHODS: Forty subjects attending our hospital-based rehabilitation centre for SCI were administered the Spinal Cord Independence Measure-version III (SCIM-III), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual QoL-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW) and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situation (CISS) to assess functional status, health-related QoL, individualised QoL and coping strategies, respectively. RESULTS: The SCIM-III scores were positively correlated (P<0.01) with the physical functioning subscale of the SF-36. The only scale that correlated (P<0.01) with the SEIQoL-DW scores was the SF-36 mental health subscale. Positive correlations among task-oriented or avoidance-oriented coping and specific measures of health-related QoL emerged. CONCLUSIONS: Data from the present study showed only a few associations among different measures of QoL and suggest that patient-centered evaluations of QoL are not necessarily or strictly related to functional status or health-related QoL. Coping strategies seem to be significantly related to the subjects perceptions of QoL, but mostly in the health-related domains.
