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. 2022 Mar 23;17(3):e0265807.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265807. eCollection 2022.

Staying active after rehab: Physical activity perspectives with a spinal cord injury beyond functional gains

Laura A Baehr  1 , Girija Kaimal  2 , Shivayogi V Hiremath  3 , Zina Trost  4 , Margaret Finley  1
Affiliations

Staying active after rehab: Physical activity perspectives with a spinal cord injury beyond functional gains

Laura A Baehr et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Lifestyle physical activity following spinal cord injury (SCI) is critical for functional independence, mental wellness, and social participation, yet nearly 50% of individuals with SCI report no regular exercise. The objective of this study was to better understand factors leading to this participation gap by capturing the physical activity perspectives of individuals living with SCI. We completed small group interviews with nine individuals living with SCI across the United States. Iterative thematic analysis systematically revealed meaningful core concepts related to physical activity engagement with SCI. Emergent themes revealed challenges to lifestyle physical activity behavior including gaps in physical activity education, isolation during psychological adjustment, and knowledge limitations in community exercise settings. A secondary theme related to the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, highlighting additional environmental constraints affecting participation. Our findings suggest that most physical activity education is delivered during inpatient rehabilitation and is related to physical function. Lifetime physical activity strategies are achieved through self-education and peer networking. Personal motivators for physical activity include secondary condition prevention, while social and emotional barriers prevent regular adherence. These findings can inform the development and delivery of physical activity programs to maximize physical activity engagement in individuals living with chronic SCI.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Challenges to physical activity lifestyle behavior adoption in individuals with SCI.
Lifestyle physical activity adoption behavior is challenged by several personal and social factors including long-term psychological adjustment following spinal cord injury, gaps in physical activity education during community re-integration, and barriers in community exercise settings.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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