Physical activity in persons with late effects of polio

Physical activity is beneficial for the health of persons with disabilities but the levels of such activity are lower than for persons without disability. In addition the level of physical activity decreases with increasing age. For persons aging with a disability it may be a challenge to engage in physical activity, partly because of the disability and partly because of contextual barriers. One group of persons aging with a disability is those with late effects of polio. The latter are recommended being physically active with respect to their impairments and activity limitations but there is very limited knowledge regarding their engagement in physical activity and related factors. The overall aim of this thesis was to increase knowledge about PA in ambulatory persons with late effects of polio by describing PA, assessing the relationships between PA and impairments, activity limitations, participation restrictions and life satisfaction, and furthermore by exploring perceptions of PA. The 81 participants had a confirmed history of acute poliomyelitis affecting the lower limbs, and were between 50 and 80 years of age. In the first study physical activity was analysed by self-report (The Physical Activity and Disability Survey) and by a pedometer. In the second and third study impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions common in this population were assessed. The fourth study was qualitative and 15 participants were individually interviewed regarding their perception of physical activity and the personal and environmental factors related to physical activity. The results showed that the participants were physically active on average three hours per day, mostly in low-level intensity activities and walked on average 6212 steps per day. The amount of PA varied considerably between the participants. There was a positive association between physical activity and life satisfaction. Physical activity was associated with impairments (knee muscle strength and self-reported impairments), activity limitations and participation restrictions (gait performance, self-reported limitations in walking and fear of falling). The variance in physical activity was moderately explained by the assessed impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Overall the participants had a positive perception of physical activity but multiple factors affected them in their effort to perform PA. The participants described aspects that were closely related to the late effects of polio, such as specific impairments, changes in physical activity over time, past experiences, and contextual barriers. Persons with late effects of polio want to be physically active but may need assistance in order to be able to create suitable strategies for minimizing the impact of their impairments, to prioritize and to change aspects of performance. These results could assist health care professionals in guiding this group to achieve or maintain an active and healthy lifestyle

Feeling controlled or being in control? Apps for self-management among older people with neurological disability

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to describe how people living with a neurological disability such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke reason regarding using apps to facilitate self-management in everyday life.Material and methods: A qualitative research approach with a focus group methodology was used. The sample comprised 16 participants, 11 men and 5 women, with an average age of 64 years (ranging from 51–80 years). Six participants were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, six with Parkinson’s disease and four with stroke. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which is a method for identifying, analyzing and reporting patterns.Results: The results formed two themes. The first theme “using apps to have control of my health” comprises two subthemes; “monitor and take responsibility for a healthy lifestyle” and “compensate to facilitate everyday life”. The second theme “using the app as a tool and means for communication” also comprised two subthemes; “dare to trust the app” and “feeling safe when sharing information with health care professionals”.Conclusions: The use of apps put increased responsibility on the person and had the possibility to make them more involved in their own care. The use of an app can facilitate a healthy lifestyle and help to monitor disease-specific symptoms. In order to be able to use apps for communication with the health care sector legislation and safety issues need to be considered. Implications for rehabilitation Apps can be used for self-management if they are safe and can be trusted. People with neurological disabilities want to be involved in their healthcare and needs to be addressed by health care professionals. The use of apps grasp over a wide variety of areas this is something that may be considered in health care and something that can be addressed by interdisciplinary approaches. Ordinary health-oriented apps and disease-specific apps were used differently and for different purposes

Physical Activity and the Association With Self-Reported Impairments, Walking Limitations, Fear of Falling and Incidence of Falls in Persons With Late Effects of Polio.

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and self-reported disability in ambulatory persons with mild to moderate late effects of polio (N=81, mean age 67 years). The outcome measures were: Physical Activity and Disability Survey (PADS), a pedometer, Self-reported Impairments in Persons with Late Effects of Polio Scale (SIPP), Walking Impact Scale (Walk-12), Falls Efficacy Scale - International (FES-I) and self-reported incidence of falls. The participants were physically active on average 158 minutes per day and walked 6212 steps daily. Significant associations were found between PADS and Walk-12 (r = -0.31, p < 0.001), and between the number of steps and SIPP, Walk-12 and FES-I (r = -0.22 to -0.32, p < 0.05). Walk-12 and age explained 14% of the variance in PADS and FES-I explained 9% of the variance in number of steps per day. Thus, physical activity was only weakly to moderately associated with self-reported disability

‘I take engineering with me': epistemological transitions across an engineering curriculum

In this paper we study epistemological transitions across an intended engineering curriculum and recommend strategies to assist students in attaining the increasingly complex concepts and insights that are necessary for transition to advanced levels of study. We draw on Legitimation Code Theory [Maton, Karl. 2014, Knowledge and Knowers: Towards a Realist Sociology of Education. Abingdon: Routledge], in particular the dimensions of sematic gravity and semantic density, to explain these transitions. Data for the study was obtained from a curriculum renewal project that reveals how engineers understand engineering knowledge. We find an interdependent relationship between semantic gravity and semantic density in the intended engineering curriculum. The complexity of the context and the problems that arise from it pose strong cognitive challenges. The semantic gravity wave rises and falls across the engineering curriculum s, enabling both abstraction and a focus on ‘real world’ problems in specialised knowledge fields. Control of the semantic gravity wave is key to the provision of ‘epistemological access’ [Morrow, Wally, ed. (2003) 2009. Bounds of Democracy: Epistemological Access in Higher Education. Reprint, Pretoria: HSRC Press] to engineering knowledge

The Perception of Physical Activity in Ambulatory Persons With Late Effects of Polio: A Qualitative Study.

Maintaining regular physical activity (PA) can be challenging for persons with late effects of polio. This qualitative study of ambulatory persons with late effects of polio explored their perceptions of PA, and facilitators of and barriers to PA. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 persons and analyzed with content analysis using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as framework. The participants described positive perceptions of PA and its health benefits. PA was used to prevent further decline in functioning, and the type and frequency of activities had changed over time. Past experiences and personal characteristics impacted on PA. Support from close relatives, knowledgeable health care professionals, mobility devices and accessible environments facilitated PA, whereas impairments, inaccessible environments and cold weather were the main barriers. To perform PA regularly, persons with late effects of polio may benefit from individualized advice based on their disability, personal and environmental factors

Conceptualising linguistic access to knowledge as interdisciplinary collaboration

Communication lecturers often find themselves in the position of having to do considerably more than teach communication practice in professional programmes, for example, they are commonly expected to provide a 'service' function to lecturers in other disciplines. When communication lecturers are 'embedded' in science, engineering and technology-based departments, the 'service' provision role of communication lecturers can be exaggerated because of their marginal position in such departments. In this paper we argue that the lens of interdisciplinarity is a useful one for reconceptualising the role of communication lecturers in professional programmes in science, engineering and technology-based departments. We draw on a number of case studies to show how reconceptualising the work of communication lecturers can enhance collaboration between communication and content lectures in science, engineering and technology and, ultimately, contribute more meaningfully to the language development of students enrolled in professional programmes