Objective and self-reported physical activity measures and their association with depression and satisfaction with life in persons with spinal cord injury

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Study examined associations between objective and self-reported measures of physical activity (PA) and the relationships of these measures with depression and satisfaction with life (SWL) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Data were collected from 86 individuals with traumatic SCI who use a manual wheelchair. Objective measures of PA included average daily distance and speed of wheelchair propulsion (WCP) measured by an odometer attached to the participants’ wheelchairs. Self-report questionnaires included demographics, the 24-hour recall of transfers, Physical Activity Recall Assessment for People with SCI, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) to document depressive symptoms, and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Analysis revealed that both objective measures of WCP, average daily distance and speed, were predicted by the combination of self-reported daily time away from home/yard and lower frequency of car transfers. Daily distance of WCP was negatively correlated with depression (PHQ-2). Time in leisure PA was the only significant predictor of SWLS scores. Short-term recall of hours away from home/yard not spent driving or riding in a vehicle is suggested as a self-report measure that is moderately related to overall WCP PA in this population. Results of this study suggest that depression is related to decreased PA and WCP activity, while SWL is related to leisure PA.

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