A prospective study of health behaviors and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality after spinal cord injury

Study design Prospective cohort study Objectives Identify the association between health behaviors and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) Setting A large rehabilitation hospital in the Southeastern United States. Methods Participants included 3070 adults (>18 years old) with chronic (>1-year) traumatic SCI. Behavioral data were collected by mail-in self report assessment between 1997–1998 and 2007–2010. Mortality status was determined using the National Death Index as of December 2016. We examined the associations between six behavioral domains (prescription medication usage, alcohol use, smoking, two nutrition factors, and fitness) and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, including deaths due to sepsis (ICD-10-CM A40-A41), pneumonia and influenza (J09-J18), cancer (C00-D49), heart and blood vessel diseases (I00-I99), unintentional injuries (V01-X59, Y40-Y84, Y88), and all other causes. Results All health behaviors, except one nutrition factor, were associated with risk of all–cause mortality. Prescription medication usage was related to an increase in the risk of deaths caused by sepsis, unintentional injuries, and other causes of death. Alcohol usage was associated with an increased hazard of deaths due to unintentional injuries. Smoking was associated with increased risk of deaths due to cancer, heart and blood vessel diseases, and all other causes. Fitness level was protective from deaths due to heart and blood vessel diseases and other causes, as was the other nutrition factor. Conclusions The results identify relationships between health behaviors and specific causes of death and affirm their importance as targets for SCI rehabilitation research and intervention.