| Summary: | The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the meaning of quality of life as defined by adults with paraplegia or quadriplegia. The 12 participants, men and women aged 26 to 66 years, responded to an announcement sent to members of a regional spinal cord injury association. Each subject participated in one of three small group discussions moderated by two of the investigators. Responses were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed by pattern coding as described by Miles and Huberman (1994). Individual follow-up telephone sessions were used to verify the results. The results indicated that the meaning of quality of life is a subjective and developmental measure of life satisfaction that is strongly influenced by several domains. Participants indicated that three of the most important domains of quality of life were attitude toward life, work opportunities, and level of resources. Aspects of these domains that are unique to persons with spinal cord injuries are discussed. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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