Disclosures: Sony M. Issac, MD: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest

Objective: Identify perceived barriers to physical exercise among adults with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Design: Analysis of dataset obtained from a single center that participated in the 2011-2016 TBI Model System Weight Module, a prospective longitudinal survey study.

Setting: South Florida TBI Model System center

Participants: Participants were persons who had received inpatient rehabilitation following TBI and qualified for entry into the TBI Model Systems national database. Those with mild uncomplicated TBI were excluded. Only those who were at least 18 years old were invited to participate.

Interventions: Participants provided responses to a questionnaire via mail or via an in-person or telephone interview at 0, 6, 12, and 24 months post-discharge

Main Outcome Measures: Percentage of participants who: 1) engaged in various forms of physical activity and 2) who selected a barrier to exercise from a list of options. Of particular interest was any change in the number of participants selecting a barrier at the various time points from time of discharge.

Results: Of the original 66 patients enrolled in the study, 45 (68% response rate) completed the weight module at each time point (34 males, 11 females). Walking, aerobics, swimming, and running were the most commonly reported forms of exercise reportedly performed by this cohort. Lack of time, lack of motivation, health concerns, and pain were the most frequent barriers reported to exercise. Fewer participants indicated lack of time and/or motivation as barriers at 24 months when compared to 0 and 6 months post-discharge. Health concerns and pain were reported as significant barriers by more participants at 6 months post-discharge compared to all other time points.

Conclusions: Survivors of TBI perceive a multitude of barriers to exercise. While lack of motivation and lack of time are key self-reported barriers within the first 6 months following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, fewer perceive these as limitations 24 months following discharge.

Level of Evidence: Level III

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/self-reported-barriers-to-exercise-among-survivors-of-traumatic-brain-injury-using-the-2011-2016-traumatic-brain-injury-model-system-weight-module-data-set/