Health status, quality of life and socioeconomic situation of people with spinal cord injuries six years after discharge from a hospital in Bangladesh

Study design Cross-sectional analysis of a mixed retrospective and prospective inception cohort study. Objectives To determine health status, quality of life and socioeconomic situation of people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) 6 years after discharge from a hospital in Bangladesh. Setting Bangladesh. Methods All patients alive 6 years after discharge from a hospital in Bangladesh were interviewed using the SF12 health survey, the SCI Secondary Conditions Scale, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD), and the participation in society items of World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0). Additional questions determined participants’ socioeconomic and employment status. Results The cohort comprised 260 participants: 145 used wheelchairs for mobility and 115 were able to walk at discharge. The median (IQR) Mental and Physical Component scores for the SF12 were 54 (49–57) and 44 (40–51) points, respectively. The median scores for the SCI Secondary Conditions Scale, CESD and WHODAS 2.0 were 8 (4–13), 7 (4–13) and 12 (6–17) points, respectively. Fourteen percent of all participants and 23% of those who used wheelchairs had a pressure ulcer at the time of interview. Forty-four percent of participants were unemployed and 65% were living below the poverty line (median (IQR) income, USD 0 (0–91)) per month. Conclusion Many people with SCI in Bangladesh are unemployed and living in poverty with a reduced quality of life and participation. Pressure ulcers are a common complication.