Article

OBJECTIVES: To identify the stability of
socio-environmental, behavioral and health predictors of mortality over an 8-year
time frame. SETTING: Data were analyzed at a large medical university in the
Southeast United States of America (USA). METHODS: Adults with residual
impairment from a spinal cord injury (SCI) who were at least 1-year post-injury
at assessment were recruited through a large specialty hospital in the Southeast
USA. A total of 1209 participants were included in the final analysis. A
piecewise exponential model with two equal time intervals (8 years total) was
used to assess the stability of the hazard and the predictors over time. RESULTS:
The hazard did significantly change over time, where the hazard in the first time
interval was significantly lower than the second. There were no interactions
between the socio-environmental, behavior or health factors and time, although
there was a significant interaction between age at injury (a demographic
variable) and time. CONCLUSION: These results suggest there is stability in the
association between the predictors and mortality, even over an 8-year time
period. Results reinforce the use of historic variables for prediction of
mortality in persons with SCI.

Langue : ANGLAIS