Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2025
Training Persons with Spinal Cord Injury to Ambulate Using a Powered Exoskeleton
Published on: June 16, 2016
Leisure-time physical activity motives and perceived gains for individuals with spinal cord injury
Paul K Watson1, Laura Stendell2, Camila Quel de Oliveira2
1Discipline of Exercise and Sport Sciences, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faulty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. paul.watson@sydney.edu.au.
Study Design:
Longitudinal cross-sectional.
Objectives:
To examine motives to, and perceived gains from, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Setting:
Community.
Methods:
One hundred and five physically active individuals with SCI undertook an online survey and a semi-structured interview. The Exercise Motives and Gains Inventory was used to examine the movies towards, and the gains from LTPA, and the Leisure-time Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered via interview to gather LTPA data. A cross-sectional analysis, which included descriptive, inferential, and regression statistics, was conducted on all participants, physical activity (PA) guideline adherers and PA guideline non-adherers.
Results:
The most common motives for LTPA were improvements in health and fitness, management of appearance and weight, and avoidance of illness. The most common gains from LTPA included improved health, fitness, strength and endurance, increased nimbleness, and enjoyment and revitalisation.
Conclusions:
Whilst health enhancement appears to be a significant motivator for LTPA, other psychosocial aspects, such as affiliation and revitalisation, appear to influence engagement and volume of LTPA. Regular LTPA should be encouraged for its health benefits, and emphasis should be placed on promoting its ability to reduce illness, facilitate affiliation, and manage stress.
