Improving Activity Engagement Among Persons With SCI During COVID-19

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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During the current COVID-19 pandemic many spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation services are limited to emergency management, leaving those living in the community without access to services. Unfortunately, this can lead to negative effects including increase in emotional distress, feelings of isolation, and decreased activity engagement. Due to their limited mobility and greater likelihood of respiratory illness it is imperative to provide alternative forms of activity engagement to reduce their risk for secondary complications. Physical activity has been demonstrate to have numerous benefits for individuals with SCI ranging from enhanced health through prevention of secondary complications to improved subjective well-being. The current study proposes to provide an online physical activity program through web-based videoconferencing to person with SCI to improve overall wellbeing and activity engagement. The program will consist of six weeks of twice-weekly, 45-minute sessions in which an experienced fitness instructor (i.e., wheelchair aerobics) with lived experience and a Kinesiology graduate student will lead online sessions. The sessions will be comprised of a 10-minute warm-up phase, a 25-minute aerobic phase and a 10-minute cool-down phase that will incorporate upper-extremity flexibility exercises and guided meditation. In all cases, remote (i.e., in-home) participant monitoring of physiological signals will be conducted by the instructor to ensure safety of participants. Once the program has been completed, participants will be asked to complete self-report questionnaires related to acceptability, feasibility, and limited effectiveness. Participants will also be asked to complete a brief semi-structured interview examining barriers and facilitators of the program. Participant feedback from the interviews will be used to further develop of the program to meet the needs of the population and develop sustainable approaches for access to care in the community setting through collaborations with community partners (SCI Ontario, National SCI Alliance, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation). Ultimately, the proposed project aims to improve overall wellbeing and access to health care service for those with SCI during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Official Title
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Improving Activity Engagement Among Persons With SCI During COVID-19

Conditions
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Spinal Cord Injuries

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: WebEx Physical Activity Program


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Adult 18 years or older; living with a spinal cord injury; living in the community in Ontario; access to a computer and internet Exclusion Criteria: Not cleared by a physician to participate

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: The proposed study will deliver an online physical activity program to persons with SCI across Ontario through the WebEx platform at Parkwood Institute. Participants will be recruited from across Ontario through SCI rehabilitation centers and established service providers. Strategic advertising through community partners such as Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, Canadian SCI Alliance and Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation will also be conducted. Study participants will include those with a spinal cord injury that have completed rehabilitation and are living in the community. Participants must have some upper limb function permitting arm movement against gravity. All participants must have physician clearance to participate in the study.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention<br>The program will be delivered twice-weekly through 45-minute sessions over 6 weeks. An experienced fitness instructor with lived experience and a graduate student from the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, will lead a class of 4-6 participants. The sessions will be comprised of a 10-minute warm-up phase, a 25-minute aerobic phase and a 10-minute cool-down phase that will incorporate upper-extremity flexibility exercises and mindfulness meditation. Over the duration the instructor will be sensitive to varying levels of function and fitness and will structure the classes to enable a slow progression of intensity. Individual semi-structured interviews will be completed over the WebEx platform to garner feedback and improve study programming for future implementation of a health care service at Parkwood Institute Outpatient Clinic. | Other: WebEx Physical Activity Program<br>* The program will be delivered twice-weekly through 45-minute sessions over 6 weeks. An experienced fitness instructor with lived experience and a graduate student from the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, will lead a class of 4-6 participants. The sessions will be comprised of a 10-minute warm-up phase, a 25-minute aerobic phase and a 10-minute cool-down phase that will incorporate upper-extremity flexibility exercises and mindfulness meditation. Over the duration the instructor will be sensitive to varying levels of function and fitness and will structure the classes to enable a slow progression of intensity. Individual semi-structured interviews will be completed over the WebEx platform to garner feedback and improve study programming for future implementation of a health care service at Parkwood Institute Outpatient Clinic.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Treatment Satisfaction | Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire | 6 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities | Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life Short Form | Baseline, 6 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up | 
| Fatigue | Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life Short Form | Baseline, 6 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up | 
| Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities | Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life Short Form | Baseline, 6 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up | 
| Positive Affect and Well-Being | Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life Short Form | Baseline, 6 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up | 
| Pain Interference | Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life Short Form | Baseline, 6 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up | 
| Resilience | Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life Short Form | Baseline, 6 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up | 
| Self-Esteem | Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life Short Form | Baseline, 6 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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spinal cord injury, spinal cord injuries