Motivation and participation in daily and social activities among adults with spinal cord injury: Applying self-determination theory

Proposing and refining a physical activity intervention for individuals living with COPD

Preliminary test a two stage, self-determination theory (SDT) and participation-based physical activity and peer support intervention for individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In Stage 1, four focus groups were conducted to provide insights about individuals' needs and experiences with physical activity. In Stage 2, four individuals with COPD aged 76-90 years (50% female) participated in an eight-week online physical activity and peer support intervention. Pre-post assessments evaluated acceptability, feasibility, and functioning. Participants (n = 14; 36% female) identified that a physical activity-based program using functional task-based exercises and peer support is acceptable for adults with COPD in Stage 1. Three of the four participants improved their satisfaction with and self-reported participation in physical activity in Stage 2. Participants reported the intervention supported their psychological needs, associated with SDT. The online, peer support, participation-based physical activity intervention is feasible in its virtual delivery for physical activity promotion for individuals with COPD.

Associations Between Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Motivation Underpinning Daily Activity Participation Among Community-Dwelling Survivors of Stroke: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

OBJECTIVE

Grounded in the self-determination theory (SDT), this study aimed to examine the real-time associations between basic psychological need satisfaction and motivation underpinning daily activity participation among survivors of stroke.

DESIGN

Repeated-measures observational study involving 7 days of ambulatory monitoring; participants completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys via smartphones 8 times daily. Multilevel models were used to analyze EMA data for concurrent (same survey) and lagged (next survey) associations.

SETTING

General community.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty community-dwelling survivors of stroke (N=40).

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

EMA measures of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and motivation (autonomous motivation, controlled motivation).

RESULTS

In concurrent analyses, increased autonomy (B=0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.26; P<.001), competence (B=0.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.19; P=.021), and relatedness (B=0.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.13; P<.001) were momentarily associated with higher autonomous motivation. Conversely, increased autonomy (B=-0.19; 95% confidence interval, -0.27 to -0.10; P<.001) and competence (B=-0.09; 95% confidence interval, -0.17 to -0.01; P=.020) were momentarily associated with lower controlled motivation. Contrary to SDT, increased relatedness was momentarily associated with higher controlled motivation (B=0.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.14; P<.001). In lagged analyses, no momentary associations were detected between basic psychological needs and motivation (Ps>.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that basic psychological need satisfaction is momentarily associated with motivation for daily activity participation. Additional research is warranted to examine the associations of different orientations of relatedness with autonomous and controlled motivation. Supporting basic psychological needs may foster autonomous motivation of survivors of stroke to enhance daily activity participation after stroke.

Influence of Psychological Factors on Participation and Life Satisfaction in the Context of Travel and Tourism after Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can significantly compromise people's participation in travel and tourism activities, which is considered an important and meaningful way to engage in one's chosen lifestyle and wellness pursuits. Yet, travel often presents challenges for people with spinal cord injury (PwSCI), as it requires overcoming a wide range of potential psycho-physical challenges or barriers during trips. There is a lack of theory-based research that can help us understand and address the psychological factors and processes influencing participation and life satisfaction following SCI. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines the effects of psychological needs satisfaction on participation in the travel setting, and their subsequent impact on perceived life satisfaction. This study uses a mixed-methods approach with 39 in-depth telephone interviews conducted that focus on developing needs satisfaction measures for PwSCI in the travel setting, and an online survey among 258 PwSCI examining the relations between needs satisfaction and outcome variables. This study finds that the psychological needs satisfaction of autonomy and relatedness significantly contribute to self-determined participation in travel and tourism activities for PwSCI. This self-determined participation outcome thus represents an individual's improved ability to exert choice and control, which exhibits their level of regained mobility and further improves their life satisfaction.

A-ONE - an accessible online nutrition & exercise program for youth with physical disabilities

BACKGROUND

Pediatric disability prevalence has increased to 17.8% in recent years. This youth population faces a range of individual, social, and environmental level barriers to a healthy lifestyle. This is particularly concerning because this population is at a higher risk of obesity and lifestyle-related morbidity and mortality. Therefore, A-ONE: An Accessible and Online Nutrition & Exercise Program was designed to provide a comprehensive and holistic online program for youth with physical disabilities.

METHODS

A-ONE will offer two individualized fitness workouts and one accessible cooking session per week for 16-weeks. In addition, A-ONE will offer one social-mentoring session per week. All programming (4 sessions per week) will occur during after-school hours. The program will be offered 6 times during the 2-year grant period, enrolling 10 youth per cohort, for a total of 60 youth with physical disabilities. Outcomes to be examined include physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, independent meal preparation, quality of life, and self-efficacy. They will be assessed pre, post, and 4-weeks following the end of the program. Program fidelity and feasibility will also be assessed.

CONCLUSION

While children with physical disabilities benefit from opportunities to engage in physical activity and nutrition, accessible programming is unavailable. Despite decades of disability rights legislation mandating access to equal education, there is still a lack of system level solutions to improve the health inequity for youth experiencing disabilities. This program represents a sustainable and scalable way to remove barriers and improve the trajectories of health among youth with a physical disability.

Grieving a disrupted biography: an interpretative phenomenological analysis exploring barriers to the use of mindfulness after neurological injury or impairment

BACKGROUND

Mindfulness has demonstrated strong utility for enhancing self-management and health outcomes in chronic illness. However, sensation-focused mindfulness techniques may not be appropriate for clinical populations with neurological injury. This study aimed to identify how expert mindfulness teachers with sensory loss/impairment naturalistically adapt and experience mindfulness. We aimed to highlight the rationale for and barriers to mindfulness practice when living with sensory loss.

METHODS

A qualitative, semi-structured interview design was used, analysed via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Eight (5 females, 3 males) mindfulness teachers with neurological injury were recruited via a national registry of Mindfulness for Health teachers. Interviews (range: 50-93 min) were completed, transcribed verbatim and analysed idiographically for descriptive, linguistic and conceptual themes, before a cross-case analysis was completed.

RESULTS

Two superordinate themes were identified: (1) Overcoming a disrupted biography; and (2) Proactive self-management. These themes considered the challenge of reconciling, through grief, a past health status with the present reality of living with sensory loss due to Spinal Cord Injury, Multiple Sclerosis or Functional Neurological Disorder. Mindfulness was experienced as a method by which proactive choices could be made to maintain control and autonomy in health, reducing perceptions of suffering, psychological distress, cognitive reactivity and rumination.

CONCLUSIONS

Mindfulness was found to support the self-management of health after neurological injury/impairment. Mindfulness meditation presented an initial challenge as trauma and grief processes were (re-)activated during mindfulness sessions. However, mindfulness was found to support the resolution of these grief processes and encourage adaptive approach-based coping and acceptance of health and neurological impairment/injury.

Factors influencing college students’ behaviours of spreading internet public opinions on emergencies in universities

Purpose

This study aims to explore the influencing factors on college students’ behaviours of spreading Internet public opinion on emergencies in colleges and universities. This study provides a reference for these institutions to cope with and reduce the influence of Internet public opinion on emergencies and maintain their normal teaching order.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a research model by using motivation theory and design a questionnaire on the basis of relevant literature are constructed. This paper surveys college students and collects a total of 317 valid questionnaires. On the basis of the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, this study verifies the proposed model by using Smart PLS.

Findings

The results show that social motivation and information source preference have significant positive influences on college students’ willingness to spread Internet public opinion on emergencies in colleges and universities. Moreover, information source preference has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between social motivation and dissemination willingness. If college students’ information source preference is high, then the moderating effect is significant. The extent of college students’ interaction and involvement has a significantly positive influence on their trust in the dissemination platform for Internet public opinion on emergencies in colleges and universities. Egoism has a significantly positive influence on the social motivation of college students to spread Internet public opinion on emergencies in colleges and universities. Involvement degree has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between social motivation and trust. If college students’ involvement degree is low, then the moderating effect is significant. Thus, when the involvement of college students in Internet public opinion on emergencies in colleges and universities is low, the influence of social motivation on trust is great.

Originality/value

This study increases the influencing factors in the literature on Internet public opinion, enriches the research theory of Internet public opinion on emergencies in colleges and universities and expands the application scope of the theory of social motivation. The conclusion provides guidance for colleges and students to govern Internet public opinion on emergencies and improve the ability of these institutions in dealing with Internet public opinion on emergencies.

The Impact of a Comorbid Spinal Cord Injury on Cognitive Outcomes of Male and Female Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

INTRODUCTION

Evidence of the effect of comorbid spinal cord injury (SCI) on cognitive outcomes in persons undergoing rehabilitation following newly diagnosed traumatic brain injury (TBI) is limited. We conducted a population-based study to investigate this effect.

OBJECTIVE

To compare cognitive outcomes in patients with TBI with and without a comorbid SCI.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients diagnosed with TBI were identified and followed for 1 year through provincial health administrative data; those who entered inpatient rehabilitation were studied.

DESIGN

A retrospective matched cohort study using the National Rehabilitation Reporting System data of all acute care and freestanding rehabilitation hospitals in Ontario, Canada.

MAIN MEASURES

The exposure was a comorbid SCI in patients with diagnosed TBI. Exposed patients were matched to unexposed (TBI-only) on sex, age, injury severity, and income, in a ratio of one to two. Gain differences in the cognitive subscale of the Functional Independence Measure were compared between exposed and unexposed patients using multivariable mixed linear model, controlling for comorbidity propensity score, gains in motor function, and rehabilitation care indicators.

RESULTS

Over the first year post injury, 12 750 (0.84%) of all TBI patients entered inpatient rehabilitation, of whom 1359 (10.66%) had a comorbid SCI. A total of 1195 exposed patients (65.4% male, mean age 50.9 ± 20.6 for male and 61.8 ± 21.8 for female patients) were matched to 2390 unexposed patients. Controlling for confounding, exposed patients had lower cognitive gain (beta -0.43; 95% CI -0.72, -0.15), for both male (beta -0.39; 95% CI -0.75, -0.03) and female (beta -0.51; 95% CI -0.97, -0.05) patients. The adverse effects of comorbid SCI were driven largely by lower gains in problem solving and comprehension.

CONCLUSIONS

Adult patients with TBI and comorbid SCI showed a lower cognitive domain response to inpatient rehabilitation than patients with TBI alone. Identifying patients at risk for worse cognitive outcomes may facilitate the development of targeted strategies that improve cognitive outcomes.

Effects of Motivation, Basic Psychological Needs, and Teaching Competence on Disruptive Behaviours in Secondary School Physical Education Students

Currently, disruptive and aggressive behaviours of a physical and verbal nature are a reality among adolescent students and a concern in the educational context. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to analyse the effects of perceived teaching competence, motivation and basic psychological needs on disruptive behaviours in secondary school PE students. The sample was composed of 758 adolescent students from seven public secondary schools. The following instruments adapted to physical education were used: The Disruptive Behaviours Questionnaire, The Evaluation of Teaching Competencies Scale, The Sport Motivation Scale, and The Basic Psychological Needs Scale. Multilevel regression models with the MIXED procedure were performed for data analysis. The results show that misbehaviour is more likely among male students and that disruptive behaviours decrease when a teacher is perceived as competent. Students with greater self-determined motivation are more likely to exhibit fewer behaviours related to low engagement and irresponsibility while amotivation increases the different disruptive behaviours in the classroom. In conclusion, it is proposed that educators work in line with the students’ needs by responding to their interests and that this will increase self-determined motivation.