ABSTRACT

Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of Internet use among people with spinal cord injuries (SCI), and to assess the relationship between Internet use and quality of life (QOL) based on two types of SCI. Methods : A total of 154 subjects were recruited from one general hospital and six rehabilitation centers in Kyung-Ki province. The subjects selected suffered from a spinal cord injury at least 6 months prior, and were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed to ascertain the difference in QOL among the subjects based on two types of injury location (tetraplegia and paraplegia). A statistical analysis was conducted using SAS version 8.2. Results : In cervical injury patients, there is a significant high QOL related to Internet use (P<.01), while in tetraplegia patients, there is a significant low QOL of emotional state related to Internet use. The emotional state was higher in the group of using a adaptive device and the highest level of utilization. And body health and functional areas were higher in the group of the highest level of utilization(P<.05). The self-esteem was higher in groups of using the Internet for long periods, utilizing the highest level, using the Internet after disability and the main use for friendship. Groups with a longer amount of Internet use, highest level of utilization, and Internet use after their disability (mainly using the Internet for email and chat applications, such as homepage visits and for the purposes of maintaining friendships), showed a higher level of self-esteem(P<.05). Conclusion : The results of this study showed that Internet use can benefit patients with tetraplegia. Rehabilitation therapy and intervention in terms of Internet use should be developed for people with an SCI, and should be carefully customized depending on the SCI location.