NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing)
Doi
Abstract
Increased visceral adiposity place individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. The purpose of this study was to identify if people with chronic SCI who participate in any moderate-to-vigorous intensity leisure time physical activity (LTPA) have lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area compared to those who report none. Participants included 136 adult men (n = 100) and women (n = 36) with chronic [mean (±SD) 15.6±11.3 years post injury] tetraplegia (n = 66) or paraplegia (n = 70) recruited from a tertiary rehabilitation hospital. VAT area was assessed via whole body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using a Hologic densitometer and the manufacturer’s body composition software. Moderate-to-vigorous LTPA was assessed using the Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for People with SCI (LTPAQ-SCI) or the Physical Activity Recall Assessment for People with SCI (PARA-SCI). Summary scores were dichotomized into any or no participation in moderate-to-vigorous LTPA to best represent the intensity described in current population-specific physical activity guidelines. Data were analyzed using univariate and multiple regression analyses to identify the determinants of VAT. Overall, the model explained 67% of the variance in VAT area and included time post-injury, age-at-injury, android/gynoid ratio, waist circumference, and moderate-to-vigorous LTPA. Participation in any moderate-to-vigorous LTPA was significantly (95% CI: (-34.71)– (-2.61), p = 0.02) associated with VAT after controlling for injury-related and body composition correlates. Moderate-to-vigorous LTPA appears to be related to lower VAT area, suggesting potential for LTPA to reduce cardiometabolic disease risk among individuals with chronic SCI.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
