Self-Management and Self-Efficacy in Patients With Acute Spinal Cord Injuries: Protocol for a Longitudinal Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND

People with recently acquired spinal cord injury (SCI) experience changes in physical, social and psychological aspects of their lives. In the last decades, attention has grown for aspects of self-management and self-efficacy in SCI research. However, we still do not know what the self-management and self-efficacy outcomes of first rehabilitation are and whether utilizing these skills may prevent secondary health conditions (SHCs) and increase participation and psychological adjustment early after SCI.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the course and determinants of self-management and self-efficacy during and after first SCI rehabilitation; and to determine theory-based associations between self-management and self-efficacy with SHCs, participation and psychological adjustment.

METHODS

Multicenter prospective longitudinal cohort study. All people with a newly acquired SCI admitted to one of the 8 specialized SCI rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands will be considered for inclusion in this study. Main assessments will take place during the first and last week of admission and 3, 6 and 12 months after discharge. The target sample is 250 participants. The primary outcomes are self-management (knowledge and execution of self-care) and self-efficacy (confidence in the ability to manage the consequences of SCI and of self-care). Secondary outcome measures are SHCs, participation and psychological adjustment to SCI.

RESULTS

The first results with the complete set of data are expected in June 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

This protocol describes the SELF-SCI cohort study investigating self-management and self-efficacy of initial inpatient SCI rehabilitation. Second, associations will be investigated with SHCs, participation and psychological adjustment early after onset of SCI, until 1 year after discharge. The results will be used to test theories about motivation to perform health-promoting behaviors and adjustment to SCI.