TABLE 1—
Demographic and Diagnostic Characteristics of Adolescents and Young Adults With Spina Bifida (n = 348): Patient Data Management System Database, Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, December 2003
| Age Group, y | |||
| 13–17 (n = 178),a no. (%) | ≥ 18 (n = 170),a no. (%) | Total (n = 348),a no. (%) | |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 83 (47) | 97 (57) | 180 (52) |
| Female | 93 (53) | 72 (43) | 165 (48) |
| Lesion level | |||
| Thoracic/high lumbar | 40 (23) | 62 (36) | 102 (29) |
| Lumbar (L3–5) | 62 (35) | 63 (37) | 125 (36) |
| Sacral | 66 (37) | 36 (21) | 102 (29) |
| Other/mixed | 9 (5) | 9 (5) | 18 (5) |
| Shunt in place | |||
| Yes | 119 (67) | 118 (69) | 237 (68) |
| No | 59 (33) | 52 (31) | 111 (32) |
| Age at shunt placement | |||
| ≤ 6 m | 111 (93) | 110 (93) | 221 (93) |
| > 6 m | 8 (7) | 8 (7) | 16 (7) |
| Living situation | |||
| Lives with natural parents | 153 (93) | 118 (75) | 271 (84) |
| Other living situationb | 12 (7) | 39 (25) | 51 (16) |
| Current education program | |||
| None | 0 (0) | 37 (29) | 37 (13) |
| Special education | 44 (27) | 44 (35) | 88 (30) |
| Regular education with a delay > 2 grades | 15 (9) | 2 (2) | 17 (6) |
| Regular education within 2 grades | 70 (43) | 22 (17) | 92 (32) |
| Regular education with resource room | 34 (21) | 11 (9) | 45 (16) |
| Higher education or vocational and other training | 1 (< 1) | 10 (8) | 11 (4) |
| Completed education | |||
| Less than high school | 159 (95) | 46 (28) | 205 (62) |
| High school | 2 (1) | 82 (50) | 84 (25) |
| College degree | 0 (0) | 11 (7) | 11 (3) |
| Vocational or workshop training | 0 (0) | 12 (7) | 12 (4) |
| Ungraded special education | 7 (4) | 14 (8) | 21 (6) |
| Employment status | |||
| Employed | 14 (9) | 47 (29) | 61 (20) |
| Unemployed | 136 (91) | 113 (71) | 249 (80) |
aNumbers may not add up to sample size because of missing data. Percentages in each category are based on reported cases.
bIncludes living with adoptive parents, with foster parents, in a nursing home, and with relatives.