Women with chronic disabling conditions live with multiple symptoms that decrease their ability to function in society, and they may be at elevated risk for further morbidity with age. Despite research indicating that health-promoting behaviors decrease the risk for further morbidity, few interventions have been designed to help women with chronic disabling conditions promote their […]
Abstract Topics: Paralysis
What makes it so hard? Barriers to health promotion experienced by people with multiple sclerosis and polio.
Perceptions of barriers to health promotion were examined in three groups of individuals with disabilities: (1) those with multiple sclerosis, (2) those with postpolio syndrome, and (3) polio survivors without postpolio syndrome. While there were small statistically significant differences among the three groups, all rated fatigue and impairment as their most frequent problems. For all […]
The GAME(Cycle) exercise system: comparison with standard ergometry.
BACKGROUND: It is well established that physical activity is beneficial to health. For the individual in a wheelchair, a regular exercise program might not be available or may be too difficult to participate in physically and/or psychologically. Many exercise devices and regimes are boring. The goal, therefore, is to develop a device that makes exercise […]
Exercise recommendations for individuals with spinal cord injury.
Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) exhibit deficits in volitional motor control and sensation that limit not only the performance of daily tasks but also the overall activity level of these persons. This population has been characterised as extremely sedentary with an increased incidence of secondary complications including diabetes mellitus, hypertension and atherogenic lipid profiles. […]
Assessment of a holistic wellness program for persons with spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of a holistic (comprehensive and integrated) wellness program for adults with spinal cord injury. DESIGN: A total of 43 adults with spinal cord injury were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group attended six half-day wellness workshops during 3 mos, covering physical activity, nutrition, lifestyle management, and […]
Child behaviour problems and partner mental health as correlates of stress in mothers and fathers of children with autism.
BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that the mothers and fathers of children with disabilities experience stress differently. Although there has been a great deal of research exploring how children affect parents, there have been many fewer studies of the interrelationships between mothers’ and fathers’ psychological well-being. METHODS: Eighteen married couples who were the parents of […]
Wheelchair racing efficiency.
PURPOSE: For individuals with disabilities exercise, such as wheelchair racing, can be an important modality for community reintegration, as well as health promotion. The purpose of this study was to examine selected parameters during racing wheelchair propulsion among a sample of elite wheelchair racers. It was hypothesized that blood lactate accumulation and wheeling economy (i.e. […]
Disability, social support, and concern for children: depression in mothers with multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between disability, concern for children, social support, and depressive symptoms in a group of mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS). DESIGN: An exploratory secondary analysis using correlation and multiple regression techniques. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred one women with MS responded to a survey as part of a cohort participating in […]
Determinants of exercise in adults with cerebral palsy.
This study examined the impact of environmental factors and caregiver attitudes on exercise participation in adults with cerebral palsy using a social-cognitive model. The sample included 83 adults with cerebral palsy (47.0% males and 53.0% females). Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with exercise frequency as the dependent variable. Independent variables included personal characteristics of persons […]