Physical activity has demonstrated beneficial effects on health and longevity in the general population, and physically active individuals are at lower risk for many chronic diseases compared to their sedentary peers. Individuals with disabilities in general are less active than individuals without disabilities, but it is still unknown if physical activity confers the same level of risk reduction in populations with as without disabilities. Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) have among the lowest levels of physical activity participation compared to other populations. They also demonstrate early onset of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. This literature review discusses evidence for the potential benefits of physical activity in persons with SCI and provides a summary of pertinent studies to date. Although being physically active and physically fit appears to be associated with several health benefits in persons with SCI, most studies are small and little longitudinal evidence exists. Future studies will be needed to address this need.
Health Implications of Physical Activity in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Literature Review
B. Fernhall,K. Heffernan,S. Jae,B. Hedrick
Published 2008 in Journal of Health and Human Services Administration
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2008
- Venue
Journal of Health and Human Services Administration
- Publication date
2008-12-01
- Fields of study
Medicine
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
CONCEPTS
- health benefits
Positive health outcomes or protective effects considered in relation to activity and fitness.
- longitudinal evidence
Research that follows participants over time to assess changes or outcomes.
Aliases: follow-up evidence
- physical activity
Bodily movement or exercise participation considered as the main exposure in the review.
- physical fitness
An individual's overall physical capacity or conditioning discussed alongside activity in the review.
- small studies
Individual studies with limited sample sizes that make the evidence base thin.
- spinal cord injury
A neurological injury to the spinal cord that defines the population discussed in the review.
Aliases: SCI