Physical activity and subjective well-being among people with spinal cord injury: a meta-analysis.

STUDY DESIGN

Meta-analysis of cross-sectional, quasi-experimental and experimental studies.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if there is an association between physical activity (PA) and subjective well-being (SWB) among people living with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODS

Literature searches were conducted using multiple databases (Embase, CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO and SPORTDiscus) to identify studies involving people with SCI that included a measure of PA and at least one measure of SWB (for example, symptoms of depression, life satisfaction, mood). Relevant data were extracted from the studies and subjected to meta-analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 21 studies were retrieved yielding 78 effect sizes and a total sample size of 2354. Overall, there were statistically significant, small- to medium-sized effects for the relationships between PA and SWB (broadly defined), PA and depressive symptoms, and PA and life satisfaction. Studies using experimental and quasi-experimental designs yielded larger effects for SWB (broadly defined) and life satisfaction, than studies using nonexperimental study designs.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a small- to medium-sized positive relationship between PA and SWB among people with SCI that holds across a wide range of measures and operational definitions of these constructs.