Barriers to Leisure-Time Physical Activities in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

This study investigated the personal, environmental, and activity barriers to leisure-time physical activities (LTPAs) among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). A survey instrument was administered to 85 participants with SCI. Personal barriers to LTPAs included issues involving motivation, pain, scheduling, and financial resources. Environmental barriers marked the issues regarding availability and accessibility to specialized programs, activities, and professional services. Activity barriers included limitations in equipment, training, and personal skills required by the selected activities. Significant negative correlations were found between these barriers and the levels of physical activity and satisfaction with physical activity. While working with clients with SCI, occupational therapists should identify those LTPA barriers and possible solutions in order to establish individualized action plans for enhancing participation in LTPAs.

Leisure time physical activity participation in individuals with spinal cord injury in Malaysia: barriers to exercise

“…For individuals with SCI, maintaining an active physical lifestyle can be challenging, especially once they are reintegrated into the community [16] following completion of intensive rehabilitation therapies. Efforts to increase LTPA participation in a population with SCI are often impeded by their deconditioned capacity [17], physical impairments [7], poor motivation [18], rudimentary wheelchair skills [19], and a variety of highly interrelated barriers within the institutional, community and policy levels [7,[20][21][22]. Barriers to LTPA participation could be categorized into personal characteristics or environmental factors in accordance to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health [23,24].…”

“…Barriers to LTPA participation could be categorized into personal characteristics or environmental factors in accordance to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health [23,24]. Wheelchair users with SCI often have cited lack of adequate facilities, transportation and poor accessibility as reasons for their reduced LTPA participation [20,25]. In addition, lack of motivation, lack of energy and physical limitations were reported as personal barriers among this group [7,26].…”

Physical Activity Barriers in Danish Manual Wheelchair Users: A Cross-sectional Study

“…For example, 41% of mobility disabled individuals living in Chicago, US 15 reported fear of crime as a barrier, versus 6.9% in Michigan, US 14 , and 29% in Malaysia 10 . Many of the largest studies utilize samples residing in the United States, primarily in large urban areas 8,9,[14][15][16] .…”

SCIPA Full-On: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Intensive Whole-Body Exercise and Upper Body Exercise After Spinal Cord Injury

“…31 Many barriers exist to participation in leisure time physical activity by people with SCI, including motivation, finances, and accessibility to specialized programs or equipment. 32 Programs to overcome some of these barriers are now being developed 28 and are similar to the exercise program delivered to UBE in this study.…”