Objective To investigate the status quo of self-regulated fatigue in patients with spinal cord injury and analyze its influencing factors so as to provide the basis for the formulation of precise intervention measures.

Methods A total of 216 patients with spinal cord injury in 5 hospitals in Hefei were investigated using the general data questionnaire, self-regulated fatigue scale, reduced disability acceptance Scale, life orientation scale and perceptive social support scale.

Results The self-regulated fatigue score of patients with spinal cord injury was (47.97 ± 9.47). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the education level, self-care ability, ASIA rating, family per capita monthly income, disability acceptance, life orientation test and understanding social support were the main influencing factors of self-regulated fatigue in patients with spinal cord injury (P ＜ 0.05). Among them, the self-care ability was positively correlated with the self-regulated fatigue score (β = 1.601, P ＜ 0.01), and the other six indicators were all negatively correlated with the self-regulated fatigue score (β = –1.409, –3.267, –2.447, –0.345, –0.466, –0.196, P ＜ 0.01). The seven indicators altogether explained 49.6% of the total variation.

Conclusions The self-regulated fatigue of patients with spinal cord injury is above the medium level. It is urgently necessary for medical staff to pay attention and precisely formulate response strategies based on relevant influencing factors to alleviate patients' self-regulation fatigue.