Effects of Sports Activity in Spinal Cord Injured Persons

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of regular sports activity on psychosocial adaptation, natural killer cell activity (NKCA) as an immunologic measure and HDL-cholesterol level as an indirect index of heart disease in chronic spinal cord injured persons. METHOD: We compared two groups. One is sports group (n=13) who has been doing regular sports activity more than three hours a week for at least one year. Another group who leads sedentary life matched age and body mass index served as a control group (n=13). For the evaluation of psychosocial adaptation, we assessed Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale as subjective measure, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) as objective measure and Symptom Checklist 90 Revision (SCL-90-R) as a psychologic evaluation. NKCA and serum HDL-cholesterol level were assessed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in subjective measure and psychologic evaluation between two groups. CHART score and NKCA are significantly higher in the sports group than in the control group (p<0.05). HDL cholesterol level was increased in the sports group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Participating in regular sports activity improved the psychosocial adaptation and immune system in chronic spinal cord injured persons.