From the School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore (MHB, PO, EA); Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (BED); Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse (ND); School of Nursing, University of Northern Illinois, DeKalb (PB); and Department of Neuropsychology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (TAZ).
All correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Melissa H. Bellin, PhD, LCSW, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 West Redwood St, Baltimore, MD.
Elizabeth Aparicio is a PhD candidate.
Supported, in part, by funds from the Spina Bifida Association Young Investigator Award and the University of Maryland Designated Research Initiative Funds. Presented, in part, at the Second World Congress on Spina Bifida (March 2012), Las Vegas, NV. Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of this article.
CME Objectives: On completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) List factors that influence quality-of-life in emerging adults with spina bifida; (2) Describe how severity of spina bifida relates to quality-of-life; (3) Discuss areas of potential intervention to protect against deterioration in quality-of-life in patients with spina bifida.
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this activity for a maximumof 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
