Objective This study aims to identify determinants of dietary behaviour in wheelchair users with spinal cord injury or lower limb amputation, from the perspectives of both wheelchair users and rehabilitation professionals. The findings should contribute to the field of health promotion programs for wheelchair users. Methods Five focus groups were held with wheelchair users (n = 25), and two with rehabilitation professionals (n = 11). A thematic approach was used for data analysis in which the determinants were categorized using an integrated International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and Attitude, Social influence and self-Efficacy model. Results Reported personal factors influencing dietary behaviour in wheelchair users were knowledge, boredom, fatigue, stage of life, habits, appetite, self-control, multiple lifestyle problems, intrinsic motivation, goal setting, monitoring, risk perception, positive experiences, suffering, action planning, health condition, function impairments, attitude and self-efficacy. Reported environmental factors influencing dietary behaviour in wheelchair users were unadjusted kitchens, monitoring difficulties, eating out, costs, unfavourable food supply, nutrition education/counselling, access to simple healthy recipes, eating together, cooking for others, and awareness and support of family and friends. Conclusions Important modifiable determinants of dietary behaviour in wheelchair users that might be influenced in lifestyle interventions are knowledge, fatigue, habits, self-control, intrinsic motivation, risk perception, attitude and self-efficacy. It is recommended to involve relatives, since they appear to significantly influence dietary behaviour.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of seat height, wheelchair mass and grip on mobility performance among wheelchair basketball players and to investigate whether these effects differ between classification levels. METHODS: Elite wheelchair basketball players with a low (n= 11, class 1 or 1.5) or high (n= 10, class 4 or 4.5) classification performed a field-based wheelchair mobility performance (WMP) test. Athletes performed the test six times in their own wheelchair, of which five times with different configurations, a higher or lower seat height, with additional distally or centrally located extra mass, and with gloves. The effects of these configurations on performance times and the interaction with classification were determined. RESULTS: Total performance time on the WMP test was significantly reduced when using a 7.5% lower seat height. Additional mass (7.5%) and glove use did not lead to changes in performance time. Effects were the same for the two classification levels. CONCLUSIONS: The methodology can be used in a wheelchair fitting process to search for the optimal individual configuration to enhance mobility performance. Out of all adjustments possible, this study focused on seat height, mass and grip only. Further research can focus on these possible adjustments to optimize mobility performance in wheelchair basketball. DOI: 10.3233/TAD-190251 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemarie-de-witte-9582b154/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rienkvdslikke/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniqueberger/
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Daily wheelchair ambulation is seen as a risk factor for shoulder problems, which are prevalent in manual wheelchair users. To examine the long-term effect of shoulder load from daily wheelchair ambulation on shoulder problems, quantification is required in real-life settings. In this study, we describe and validate a comprehensive and unobtrusive methodology to derive clinically relevant wheelchair mobility metrics (WCMMs) from inertial measurement systems (IMUs) placed on the wheelchair frame and wheel in real-life settings. The set of WCMMs includes distance covered by the wheelchair, linear velocity of the wheelchair, number and duration of pushes, number and magnitude of turns and inclination of the wheelchair when on a slope. Data are collected from ten able-bodied participants, trained in wheelchair-related activities, who followed a 40 min course over the campus. The IMU-derived WCMMs are validated against accepted reference methods such as Smartwheel and video analysis. Intraclass correlation (ICC) is applied to test the reliability of the IMU method. IMU-derived push duration appeared to be less comparable with Smartwheel estimates, as it measures the effect of all energy applied to the wheelchair (including thorax and upper extremity movements), whereas the Smartwheel only measures forces and torques applied by the hand at the rim. All other WCMMs can be reliably estimated from real-life IMU data, with small errors and high ICCs, which opens the way to further examine real-life behavior in wheelchair ambulation with respect to shoulder loading. Moreover, WCMMs can be applied to other applications, including health tracking for individual interest or in therapy settings.
De prestatie in rolstoelsporten wordt voor een groot deel bepaald door de ‘Wheelchair Mobility Performance’ (WMP), de prestatiemaat voor de atleet-rolstoel combinatie. Binnen het project ‘de perfecte sportrolstoel’ is een methode ontwikkeld ‘de Wheelchair Mobility Performance Monitor’ (WMPM) om mobility performance te meten en uit te drukken in een aantal objectief goed te kwantificeren uitkomstmaten zoals snelheid, versnelling en wendbaarheid. Deze maten geven inzicht in de relatie tussen atleet, rolstoel en sport. Door middel van de WMPM is het mogelijk inzicht te verkrijgen in de fysieke eisen die in rolstoelsport gesteld worden, feedback te geven aan atleten en coaches, het evalueren van training en wedstrijden en het kan rolstoelexperts ondersteunen in het optimaliseren van de rolstoel. Binnen het RAAK-project is de WMPM ontwikkeld en ingezet als onderzoekstool bij verschillende rolstoelsporten. De WMPM biedt echter ook goede kansen voor het gebruik door coaches in de beroepspraktijk. Echter, de WMPM is nog niet eenvoudig toepasbaar voor zelfstandig gebruik door coaches en atleten voor het continue monitoren van prestaties. Met deze aanvraag willen we de implementatie van de WMPM in de beroepspraktijk faciliteren, door het verder ontwikkelen van het systeem naar een praktijkapplicatie en door NL-team coaches en embedded scientists in de rolstoelsporten tennis en basketbal op weg te helpen in het gebruik. Daarbij zal er zowel aandacht zijn voor de technische vervolmaking, maar vooral ook voor de implementatie van het systeem in de sportpraktijk. Samen met coaches, atleten en onderzoekers zal een live feedback tool naar een voor de praktijk toegankelijk platform worden omgezet, zodat deze direct inzetbaar is in de voorbereiding op de Paralympische spelen van 2020 en verder. Hierbij zullen onderzoekers en studenten van meerdere opleidingen als ICT en media en mechatronica betrokken worden.
