Marriage rates among persons with spinal cord injury.

Postinjury marriage rates of 6,853 persons enrolled in the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center database between 1973 and 1992 were determined. Only 781 marriages occurred, whereas 1,884 marriages were expected based on 29,660 person-years of follow-up and overall annual marriage rates that were specific for age, gender, and previous marital status. Within the study population, characteristics associated with significantly elevated marriage rates included age between 30 and 44, college education, being divorced at injury, paraplegia, independence in ambulation and activities of daily living, and not being institutionalized. Standardized marriage rates were significantly below general U.S. population norms for all study population subgroups except those who were widowed and those who were at least 45 years of age at injury. Further research should focus on identifying reasons for the reduced marriage rate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)