Effects of an exercise intervention on participation reported by people with disabilities: A mixed methods randomized trial.

BACKGROUND

Despite a long history of research on the benefits of exercise for people with mobility impairments, little is known about how exercise affects participation in their daily activities.

OBJECTIVE

This randomized mixed-methods study examined the effects of participating in a structured community-based exercise program on pain, depression, fatigue, exertion and participation in daily activities.

METHOD: Study participants were recruited from a population-based sample of people who returned a survey (n = 800) and indicated they would be willing to participate in another study. The intervention group was randomly assigned to participate in a physical therapy evaluation and 30 exercise sessions within four months and the control group completed measures only. Ecological momentary assessment and a daily diary was used to evaluate treatment outcomes for the intervention relative to the control group on pain, depression, fatigue, exertion and participation in high exertion activities. We also interviewed a subset of intervention participants to solicit their lived experience from engaging in the exercise intervention.

RESULTS

Exercise intervention participants reported 28% less pain and 19% less fatigue than control participants. They also reported engaging in 11% more bathing and grooming, 22% more household chores, and left their homes 13% more than control participants. These results were mirrored in qualitative interview results.

CONCLUSIONS

Participating in an exercise program leads to less pain and fatigue and more participation in activities that require relatively high levels of exertion like bathing and leaving home.