Effect of wearing an activity monitor on the amount of daily manual wheelchair propulsion in persons with spinal cord injury.
METHODS
An experimental study.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of reactivity related to wearing a multi-sensor activity monitor (AM) on the amount of manual wheelchair propulsion during daily life in wheelchair-bound persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). In addition, to establish the subjectively experienced burden of wearing the AM.


METHODS
Rehabilitation centre and home-based study.


METHODS
In 10 persons with SCI, during a 7-day period, the daily amount of manual wheelchair propulsion was measured by means of a rotation counter. During this period, an AM was worn for 1 day (AM+ day) by the participants. Experienced burden was measured by a questionnaire based on visual analogue scale scores.


RESULTS
The overall median of the number of rotations per minute was 1.38 (range 0.63-1.83). No significant difference was found in the amount of daily manual wheelchair propulsion between AM+ and AM- days (P=0.33, median difference: -0.06 rotations per minute). Experienced burden was not different between subgroups that differed in reactivity.


CONCLUSIONS
The results seem to indicate that wearing the AM of this study does not systematically influence the amount of daily manual wheelchair propulsion. Although low to moderate burden was experienced when wearing the AM, this does not seem to affect the amount of manual wheelchair propulsion.
Bussmann
J B J
JB
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus, MC University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. j.b.j.bussmann@erasmusmc.nl
Kikkert
M A
MA
Sluis
T A R
TA
Bergen
M P
MP
Stam
H J
HJ
van den Berg-Emons
H J G
HJ
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation*; D026201:Musculoskeletal Manipulations / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014910:Wheelchairs