MD PennState Health Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, United States
Objectives : To assess if there is a significant change in the self-reported quality of life of spinal cord injury patients, as measured by the SCI-QoL questionnaire, before and after receiving sexual health and fertility education via a 1-hour workshop. Basic demographic information and an additional question regarding receiving previous SCI sexual education were also obtained for equity.
Design: A sexual health workshop was held at a local SCI support group meeting. Qualifying participants are people aged 18 or older living with a SCI. A pre-workshop survey was available via QR code using the REDCap program. Two and 4 weeks later, the same survey was sent to participants via email. For primary analysis, the average responses to four quality of life questions on a 0-10 rating scale from the SCI QoL questionnaire were compared between pre and post-education time points using paired T-tests.
Results: The mean difference in the general quality of life score increased from 6.25 to 7.25 (p=0.250). The mean difference in the physical health score increased from 6.00 to 6.25 (p=1). The mean difference in the mental health score decreased from 6.00 to 5.50 (p=0.5). The mean difference in the social satisfaction score increased from 5.00 to 6.00 (p=0.250). 33.33% of participants reported they had never received any sexual health education after their SCI from any healthcare provider before the workshop. 66.67% received some sexual health education prior to the workshop.
Conclusion: Social satisfaction, physical health, and overall quality of life scores all increased; however, statistical significance is limited by small sample size of 4 people who completed both surveys. Despite the limitations, the fact that 33% of participants (from the initial 6) had never received this information highlights the need to address these topics. Support groups offer a unique opportunity to address knowledge gaps and empower patients.
