Prevalence of secondary conditions and co-morbidity in people living with paralysis in the United States

People with paralysis are at high risk for developing secondary conditions, such as pressure sores, and comorbid conditions, such as diabetes. However, little is known about the prevalence of these conditions in the population with paralysis in the United States. In this session we will present preliminary data from a national, random-digit dial survey of over 70,000 households conducted in 2012 to estimate the prevalence of secondary and comorbid conditions in people with paralysis. Given that some subsets of people with paralysis may be more prone to secondary and comorbid conditions than others, analysis will be broken out by cause and diagnoses, such as spinal cord injury, arthritis, traumatic brain injury, and others, including combinations of these conditions. The data to be reported come from a national, random-digit dial survey of over 70,000 households initiated in 2012. Comorbidity comparisons will be made between this survey's findings and estimates from general and broader disability populations taken from the national surveys including the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.