Health of people living with paralysis in the United States

Building on work that assessed the scientific merit of various alternatives to monitoring surveillance for people with paralysis in the U.S. (Fox, et al., 2008), a national, population-based survey identified more than 5.6 million people in the United States who reported being paralyzed in 2009. That survey used a functional definition of paralysis: difficulty or inability to move the upper or lower extremities due to a condition of the central nervous system. The leading cause of paralysis was stroke, followed by spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. To enhance our understanding of the health of people living with paralysis in the United States, a second national, random-digit dial survey of over 70,000 households was initiated in 2012. Items used on the survey were taken from normed, validated surveys including the American Community Survey, BRFSS and others. The presentation will present preliminary findings from that survey regarding the health of people reporting paralysis and identify possible opportunities to improve health and wellness for this population.