A description and estimate of very low-intensity activity and inactive awake time in community-dwelling adults with chronic spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN

Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the amount of very low-intensity activity (VLPA) or inactive daily awake time that people with spinal cord injury (SCI) engage in and to determine correlates of VLPA/inactivity in this population.

SETTING

Community (Ontario, Canada).

METHODS

Participants with SCI (n=695; Mage=47 years; Myears post-injury=15 years, 76% men) completed telephone interviews. Demographic details and injury-related characteristics were self-reported. Total daily physical activity (for example, mild, moderate and heavy intensity) was measured using the Physical Activity Recall Assessment for People with SCI (PARA-SCI). VLPA/inactivity was calculated by subtracting total daily physical activity time from daily awake time. Correlates of VLPA/inactivity were assessed using a hierarchical linear regression where demographic variables were entered on the first step and injury-related characteristics were entered second.

RESULTS

Participants reported VLPA/inactivity for approximately 768±169 min per day, or 84%, of their awake time. The regression model predicting VLPA/inactivity was not significant.

CONCLUSION

People with SCI spend the majority of their awake time in VLPA/inactivity. However, VLPA/inactivity did not differ as a function of demographic or injury-related variables, suggesting that all segments of the SCI population could benefit from strategies to reduce inactivity.