Active Lifestyle Is Associated With Reduced Dyspnea and Greater Life Satisfaction in Spinal Cord Injury.

The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether activity reduced breathlessness or improved life satisfaction, or whether people with less breathlessness or greater satisfaction were more active. Participants were recruited from clinics, a model systems questionnaire study, community wellness and sports activities, and a local health study, so the activity and exercise rates may not apply to all people with spinal cord injury. Activity, exercise, sports, breathlessness, and life satisfaction were self-reported, and the authors note possible self-reporting bias. The paper first states 468 adults were recruited, but the results report 464 recruited subjects and 347 with complete data, and the authors did not achieve their recruitment goal. People who used a motorized wheelchair were excluded from the breathlessness analysis because the questions were about mobility-related activities, so the findings do not cover them. Dyspnea was based on modified breathlessness questions rather than objective respiratory testing.

The article text states there are no known conflicts of interest. The supplied publication types list U.S. Government and NIH extramural research support.

Do not conclude that exercise or an active lifestyle causes less breathlessness or greater life satisfaction. This was a cross-sectional survey of self-reported activity, so the direction of the association cannot be established; people with less breathlessness or higher life satisfaction may have been more active.