Perspectives and Preferences for Weight Management After Spinal Cord Injury
Abstract
After a spinal cord injury (SCI), many people have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight and identifying helpful ways to manage their weight. In fact, nearly 70% of people with a SCI are overweight, and this excess weight can lead to an increased risk for chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart disease. People with SCI who are overweight or obese may also experience decreased energy, problems with breathing during activities, and difficulties with transfers. Overall, these impacts of excess weight can make it harder for people with SCI to independently perform self-care activities and participate in desired social activities, which may lead to a poorer overall quality of life. There is a clear need to understand the barriers and facilitators to weight management in people with SCI, along with preferences and options for strategies to manage weight. Our main purpose is to better understand the concerns people with SCI face when they want to manage weight and incorporate healthy eating and physical activity into their lives. This study will use a research method called “qualitative research” to understand the experiences and thoughts about weight management of persons with SCI, their family members who may be involved in their care or daily routine, and the health providers who provide care to persons with SCI. Qualitative methods will allow us to understand what people truly think and feel about excess weight and possible good approaches to manage weight in SCI. We will summarize what we have learned through careful listening and observing and will develop a weight management tool that is made for people with SCI. The tool is intended to provide a variety of options and practical suggestions to help people with SCI achieve and maintain healthy weight. This work will be helpful for individuals with SCI, their family members, and health professionals in the healthcare setting and in the community working to help identify paths toward better health and quality of life. We will conduct individual interviews with three groups of people: (1) individuals with SCI, including both Veterans with SCI and non-Veterans with SCI; (2) informal caregiver or family members involved in the care of people with SCI; and (3) healthcare professionals (such as doctors, nurses, and therapists). Then, we will use the information we have learned from these interviews to develop an informational/educational tool that provides potential choices and weight management options based on the needs and preferences of individuals with SCI and others involved in their care and well-being. Once an initial version of the tool is developed, we will have group discussions (focus groups) with a variety of health professionals about the content, design, and delivery of the tool. We want to make sure that the informational/educational tool is practical and useful for health professionals to use and to suggest its use by people with SCI and their families, so we will make changes (based on feedback) in order to produce a useful tool that can provide a roadmap toward successful weight management. Our study will improve our understanding of concerns faced by individuals with SCI when trying to manage their weight and will provide solutions and options to overcome challenges. Attaining and maintaining a healthy weight will help people with SCI to achieve better overall health, functional status, and quality of life. We will share what we learn and the tool that is developed directly with the community of people with SCI and their caregivers, so that they can use the weight management strategies as part of their lifestyle. We will also publish our results in journals for health professionals so that it can be widely used and can contribute to the scientific knowledge in this area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 29, 2018
- Source ID
- W81XWH1710678
Entities
People
- Sherri L. LaVela
Organizations
- United States Army