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The Implications of Power Mobility on Body Weight in a Veteran Population
Deborah Caruso1, Rajbir S Chaggar1, Scott D McDonald1
1is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Staff Physician, and is a Clinical Psychologist, both at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. is a Senior Traumatic Brain Injury Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs. is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Staff Physician at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident Physician, and David Cifu is Associate Dean of Innovation and Systems Integration, both at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Richmond.
Background:
The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the United States. A common concern among health care providers is that prescribing a power mobility device (PMD) may decrease physical activity and lead to obesity and increasing morbidity. This study analyzes the effect of PMD prescriptions over a 2-year period on body mass index (BMI) and body weight in a population of veterans both as a whole and in BMI/age subgroups.
Methods:
Prosthetics department medical records of veterans who received PMDs for the first time between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 were reviewed. Of 399 records reviewed, 185 veterans met criteria for data analysis. The primary outcome measure was the change in BMI and body weight from time 1 (date of PMD prescription) to time 2 (2 years later).
Results:
There was a significant decrease in BMI and weight in the first 2 years after receiving a PMD prescription. However, age moderated the relationship between BMI and time.
Conclusions:
PMD use does not seem to be associated with significant weight change. Further studies using control groups and assessing comorbidities are needed.
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