Comparison of life satisfaction in persons with spinal cord injury living in 22 countries with different economic status

The interrelationship between pain, life satisfaction and mental health in adults with traumatic spinal cord injury, in the context of a developing country

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional, analytical study design using a conveneient sampling strategy.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the interrelationship between pain, life satisfaction and indices of negative mental well-being amongst the traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) population.

SETTING

Western Cape Rehabilitation Center in Cape Town, South Africa.

METHODS

Participants (n = 70) were adults (mean age of 36.3, SD = 9.2) with TSCI. Participants completed the following instruments: 10 satisfaction items from the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version, short forms of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a one-item measure of pain intensity taken from the International Spinal Cord Injury Pain Basic Data Set and the interference scale of the Brief Pain Inventory.

RESULTS

Correlational analysis (Pearson r) demonstrated that all the indices of mental well-being as well as the two indices of pain was significantly negatively related to life satisfaction. In addition, life satisfaction mediated the relationship between pain intensity and depression as well as anxiety. Life satisfaction only mediated the relationship between pain interference and depression but not anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

An improvement in life satisfaction may lead to improvements in pain interference, pain intensity as well as psychological distress, amongst persons suffering from TSCI Future research should focus on assessing measures/treatment which may improve life satisfaction in the TSCI population.

Relationship between employment and quality of life and self-perceived health in people with spinal cord injury: an international comparative study based on the InSCI Community Survey

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES

Work-related disability is common in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). The aims of this study are to examine the associations of employment with self-perceived health (SPH) and quality of life (QoL) across 22 countries and to explore the covariates around employment and SPH and QoL.

SETTING

Community.

METHODS

We analyzed 9494 community-dwelling persons with SCI aged 18-65. We performed an adjusted regression and path analysis. The independent variable was 'employment' and the dependent variables were two single items: QoL (very poor to very good) and SPH (excellent to poor). Covariates included the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), education, time since SCI, age, gender, years of employment after SCI, SCI level (paraplegia, tetraplegia), and completeness of SCI.

RESULTS

Participants' mean age was 47, 74% were male, and 63% had paraplegia. We found an association between employment and QoL and SPH. While the magnitude of the effect of employment on QoL did not differ across GDP quartiles, its perceived effect on QoL was found to be significant in the highest GDP quartile. Employment was predictive of good SPH in two GDP quartiles (Q1 and Q4), but significant across all quartiles when predicting poor perceptions, with the magnitude of effect varying significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Employment is closely related to QoL and SPH depending on the GDP. We may positively influence the QoL and SPH in the SCI population to promote better employment outcomes by considering the infrastructure and economy.

Influence of servant leadership on the life satisfaction of basic education teachers: the mediating role of satisfaction with job resources

Background

Life satisfaction is essential for teachers' work performance and student learning. Additionally, servant leadership has been shown to be one of the best leadership practices as it promotes employee well-being and satisfaction. Moreover, satisfaction with job resources acts as a mediator in the relationship between servant leadership and life satisfaction by influencing individual and collective performance in the organization.

Objective

This research aimed to evaluate the mediating role of satisfaction with job resources in the relationship between servant leadership and life satisfaction.

Methods

The study was cross-sectional and explanatory. 620 teachers aged between 20 and 62 years (M = 35 and SD = 9.49) participated in the study. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to measure life satisfaction, service leadership, and job resource satisfaction through the use of questionnaires.

Results

The results indicated that the model obtained an adequate fit, χ2 = 2,658, df = 551, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.941, TLI = 0.936, RMSEA = 0.079, SRMR = 0.070. The results confirm the positive influence of leadership on satisfaction with resources and life satisfaction. Additionally, a positive influence of satisfaction with job resources on life satisfaction was observed. Moreover, the mediation of job resources in servant leadership and life satisfaction was confirmed.

Conclusion

Servant leadership, supported by satisfaction with job resources, can reduce effort and associated costs, stimulate personal growth and learning, and improve the well-being of teachers.

Relationship between secondary health conditions and life satisfaction in persons with spinal cord injury: study across twenty-one countries

PURPOSE

To determine the relationships between impact of secondary health conditions (SHCs), treatment of SHCs, and life satisfaction (LS) following spinal cord injury (SCI) across 21 countries. Hypotheses were as follows: (1) Persons with SCI and fewer SHCs report higher LS and (2) Persons who receive treatment for SHCs report higher LS than those who do not receive treatment.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey, including 10,499 persons with traumatic or non-traumatic SCI aged 18 years or older and living in the community. To assess SHCs, 14 items adapted from the SCI-Secondary Conditions Scale were used (range 1-5). SHCs index was calculated as the mean of all 14 items. LS was assessed using a selection of 5 items from the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment. LS index was calculated as the mean of these 5 items.

RESULTS

South Korea, Germany, and Poland exhibited the highest (2.40-2.93) and Brazil, China, and Thailand the lowest (1.79-1.90) impact of SHCs. Indexes for LS and SHCs were inversely correlated (- 0.418; p < 0.001). Mixed Model Analysis showed that the fixed effect (key predictors of the study) of SHCs index (p < 0.001) and the positive interaction between SHCs index and treatment (p = 0.002) were significant determinants of LS.

CONCLUSION

Persons with SCI across the world are more likely to perceive better LS if they experience fewer SHCs and receive treatment for SHCs, in comparison to those who do not. Prevention and treatment of SHCs following SCI should be a high priority in order to improve the lived experience and enhance LS.

Emotions and Food Consumption: Emotional Eating Behavior in a European Population

Emotion can reflect in the perception of food consumption. An increase in food intake during emotional and psychological conditions may have a negative impact on human health. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the associations between food consumption, emotional eating behavior, and emotional conditions such as stress, depression, loneliness, boredom eating, maintaining vigilance and alertness, and emotional food consolation. We used a Motivations for Food Choices Questionnaire (Eating Motivations, EATMOT) to determine the emotional aspects of food consumption in 9052 respondents living in 12 European countries between October 2017 and March 2018. Ordinal linear regression was used to identify the associations between the emotional eating behavior and emotional conditions such as stress, depression, loneliness, emotional consolation, and reasons to improve physical and psychological conditions. The regression models confirmed the associations between food consumption, emotional conditions, and emotional eating behavior. Associations were found between the emotional eating behavior and stress (odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07-1.60, p = 0.010), depressive mood (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.40-1.43, p < 0.001), loneliness (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.58-1.62, p < 0.001), boredom (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.36-1.39, p < 0.001), and emotional consolation (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.54-1.57, p < 0.001). Emotional eating was associated with an effort to improve physical and psychological conditions, such as controlling body weight (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.10-1.12, p < 0.001), keeping awake and alert (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.19-1.20, p < 0.001) and consumption to feel good (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.21-1.22, p < 0.001). In conclusion, emotions might provoke emotional eating behavior. The appropriate way to handle stress, depression, or other emotional states is important in conditions of being emotionally overwhelmed. The public should be educated on how to handle different emotional states. The focus should be moved somehow from emotional eating and the consumption of unhealthy food to healthy lifestyle practices, including regular exercise and healthy eating habits. Thus, it is necessary to halt these negative health effects on human health through public health programs.