The Sex Effect on the Perceived Significance of Functional Loss Due to Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the gender effect on the perceived significance of functional loss in patients enduring spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Questions related to fecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and walking disorder have been directed to 50 patients with SCI. Patients were asked to list these disabilities in the order of the significance they placed on each disability, first being the most significant and fourth being the least, and accordingly each disability was scored from 1 to 4. Results: Twenty-nine (58%) male and 21 (42%) female patients were included in the study. Ten (35%) male and 7 (33%) female patients were married. Ten (20%) had tetraplegia, and 40 (80%) had paraplegia. Twenty-five male (86%) and 18 female (86%) subjects had urinary incontinence and the corresponding figures for fecal incontinence were 23 (80%) and 16 (76%), respectively. All participants had at least impaired walking, with complete inability to walk in a certain proportion of patients. Eleven male (38%) and 12 female (57%) patients required walking-aids for walking. All male patients and 16 female patients (76%) reported sexual dysfunction. The significance placed on different functional disabilities in the decreasing order was as follows for male patients: (1) walking disorder, (2) sexual dysfunction, (3) fecal incontinence, and (4) urinary dysfunction. The corresponding order for females was as follows: (1) walking disorder, (2) urinary incontinence, (3) fecal incontinence, and (4) sexual dysfunction. Conclusions: The observed gender difference in the perceived significance of dysfunction because of SCI may be due to anatomical, cultural and social factors.