Data - Competitive sports, pain and QoL in SCI.xlsx

Study Design: Observational cross-sectional prospective study 

Objective: to investigate the relationship between competitive adapted sport, pain and quality of life in people with spinal cord injury in a population from a limited resources setting.

Setting: Outpatient Clinic for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, University Hospital of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and Teams of adapted sport from the city of Campinas.

Methods:  SCI participants divided into athletes (N=16) and non-athletes (N=24). Demographic and clinical variables were associated with scores for pain and pain interference in daily life (Brief Pain Inventory, BPI), severity of neuropathic pain (Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory, NPSI) and Quality of life (Word Health Organisation Quality of Life Assessment, WHOQOL-Brief).

Results: Athletes were younger (median age 36y) than non-athletes (median age 41.5y; Mann–Whitney U test p=0.011), and the QoL was superior in athletes for the Physical, Psychological, Social Relationships, Self-Evaluation domains and Total Score when adjusted for age (p<0.01). Despite non-significantly higher pain intensity scores (NPSI, p=0.742 and BPI, p=0.261) athletes had less pain interference on “Relationship with Others”, “Enjoyment of Life”, and Total score (p<0.05) when adjusted for age. A stepwise multiple linear regression showed that only adapted sports practice (p=0.001) and Total Pain Interference (p=0.012) were significant independent predictors of QoL.

Conclusion:  Athletes with SCI have better quality of life and less pain interference in some aspects of life when compared to non-athletes.