Level of physical activity prior to injury and its impact on functioning of people with spinal cord injury

Nivel de actividad física previo a la lesión y su impacto en la funcionalidad de la persona con lesión medular espinal

The activity level of a person with spinal cord injury (SCI) can influence their functioning, independence and autonomy. This study aimed to evaluate the level of physical activity prior to SCI and its relationship with the individual’s functioning after hospital discharge. This is a quantitative, longitudinal, and analytical study with individuals diagnosed with traumatic SCI, with injury time ≤18 months, aged over 18 years old, hospitalized for rehabilitation. The following instruments were used: identification, sociodemographic profile and medical history questionnaire, international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ-Short Form) and the spinal cord independence measure - self-reported version questionnaire (brSCIM-SR). Sample was composed of 35 subjects with average age of 41.9 years, mostly males, classified as complete SCI (AIS A grade). Individuals with SCI showed a significant improvement in functioning at discharge from the rehabilitation program. Most individuals were classified as active, when correlating the level of physical activity prior to injury with functional level at discharge. A moderate positive correlation was found between physical activity prior to the injury and the functional level after the injury, suggesting that an active life prior to the injury may favor better functioning in SCI.

Keywords:
Spinal Cord Injury; Physical Performance; Rehabilitation