COVID-19’s impact on a community-based physical activity program for adults with moderate-to-severe TBI

Abstract

Purpose

Physical activity (PA) is proposed for long-term problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI) with mood, quality of life, and participation. However, COVID-19 mitigation strategies resulted in widespread closures of community-based fitness centres, including one housing a peer-assisted PA program (TBI-Health). The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth exploration of COVID-19’s impact on the TBI-Health program for adults with moderate-to-severe TBI and determine how their PA behaviours could be supported in the pandemic.

Methods

Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to collect and analyze data from semi-structured Zoom-facilitated interviews with seven female and nine male adults with moderate-to-severe TBI (including program participants and mentors).

Results

Three major themes were identified. Need for PA after TBI included specific benefits of PA after TBI and desire for an adapted PA program. Lasting Impacts of the TBI-Health Program identified belonging to the TBI-Health community, benefits, and knowledge transfer from the program. Resilience and Loss through the Pandemic comprised the repercussions of COVID-19, loss of the PA program, adapting PA to the pandemic, and resilience after TBI.

Conclusion

This study provides insights about impacts of participating in community-based peer-assisted PA programs after moderate-to-severe TBI and ways to support PA in unforeseen circumstances.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Our community-based peer-assisted physical activity program for adults with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) promoted a range of daily and social activities.

• Outdoor group-based physical activity programs provide physical activity and social opportunities for adults with moderate-to-severe TBI when indoor physical activity is restricted.

• Community-based peer-assisted physical activity programs can assist with posttraumatic growth after moderate-to-severe TBI.

Keywords:

• Traumatic brain injury
• COVID-19
• physical activity
• community
• program

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant #504363 and in part from the Canada Research Chairs Program [CRC-2019-00019].