COVID-19's impact on a community-based physical activity program for adults with moderate-to-severe TBI

Physical activity (PA) is proposed for long-term problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI) with mood, quality of life, and participation. However, COVID-19 mitigation strategies resulted in widespread closures of community-based fitness centres, including one housing a peer-assisted PA program (TBI-Health). The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth exploration of COVID-19's impact on the TBI-Health program for adults with moderate-to-severe TBI and determine how their PA behaviours could be supported in the pandemic.

Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to collect and analyze data from semi-structured Zoom-facilitated interviews with seven female and nine male adults with moderate-to-severe TBI (including program participants and mentors).

Three major themes were identified. Need for PA after TBI included specific benefits of PA after TBI and desire for an adapted PA program. Lasting Impacts of the TBI-Health Program identified belonging to the TBI-Health community, benefits, and knowledge transfer from the program. Resilience and Loss through the Pandemic comprised the repercussions of COVID-19, loss of the PA program, adapting PA to the pandemic, and resilience after TBI.

This study provides insights about impacts of participating in community-based peer-assisted PA programs after moderate-to-severe TBI and ways to support PA in unforeseen circumstances.