Associations between self-reported upper limb motor ability, life satisfaction and life problems in people with cervical spinal cord injury from the community in the United States: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate relationships between self-reported fine motor ability and quality of life (assessed by life satisfaction and life problems) from people with spinal cord injury (SCI) at T1 and above. Observational cohort study (current analysis from a cross section) PARTICIPANTS: 279 individuals with SCI at T1 or above SETTING: Community members sampled from records from two Midwestern hospitals and a speciality hospital in the Southeast United States MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fine motor ability was assessed via the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index-Short Form 9A, while two facets of quality of life, life satisfaction and life problems, were assessed by the Life Situation Questionnaire-Revised version (LSQ-R). Pearson correlations and multivariate analysis were utilised to identify cross-sectional relationships between fine motor ability, life satisfaction and life problems. Fine motor ability was positively correlated with total life satisfaction score (<i>r</i>=0.16; <i>p</i>=0.02) and was negatively correlated with the total life problems score (<i>r</i>=-0.18; <i>p</i>=0.01), health problems factor (<i>r</i>=-0.24; <i>p</i><0.01), and social isolation factor (r=-0.27; <0.01). When controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity and level of injury, better fine motor ability was significantly associated with greater life satisfaction (<i>β</i>=0.25; <i>p</i>=0.02), fewer life problems (<i>β</i>=-0.40; <i>p</i><0.01), less social isolation (<i>β</i>=-0.11; <i>p</i><0.01) and fewer health problems (<i>β</i>=-0.10; <i>p</i><0.01). The results identified significant, modest associations between self-reported outcomes, as better fine motor ability was related to less social isolation, fewer health problems and higher life satisfaction. Further investigation into the relationship between fine motor ability, life satisfaction and life problems is warranted.