Prevalence of secondary health conditions and mental status in persons with long-term spinal cord injury in South Africa: Comparison between public and private healthcare sectors

Abstract

Background: Spinal cord injuries typically result in a range of negative health outcomes and health states, which impacts overall functioning, health and well-being. It remains important to establish the prevalence (burden) of health outcomes to help with the development of optimal treatment strategies. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and treatment rates of secondary health conditions (SHCs) and mental health states in persons with long-term spinal cord injury (SCI) receiving public compared with private healthcare services in South Africa. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey included 200 community-dwelling persons with long-term SCI, 60% with paraplegia, 53% with complete injuries and 156 from the public and 44 from private healthcare sectors. The following modules of the International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) community survey were used: (i) demographic and injury characteristics; (ii) SHCs and treatment rates; and (iii) vitality and emotional well-being. All statistical analyses were stratified according to healthcare sector