Changes in body satisfaction during and after a 5-month handcycle training period and associations with physical capacity and body composition in individuals with a physical impairment

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate: (1) changes in body satisfaction during five months of handcycle training and one year after the training period; (2) whether longitudinal changes are dependent on sex, waist circumference and severity of the physical impairment; (3) associations between changes in physical capacity or body composition, and body satisfaction.

Materials and methods

Individuals (N = 143) with health conditions such as spinal cord injury filled out the Adult Body Satisfaction Questionnaire: at the start of the training (T1), directly after the training period (T2); and four months (T3) and one year after the training period (T4). At T1 and T2, physical capacity was determined with an upper-body graded exercise test, and waist circumference was measured. Handcycling classification was used as a proxy for the severity of impairment.

Results

Multilevel regression analyses showed that body satisfaction significantly increased during the training period and significantly decreased back to pre-training levels at follow-up. Individuals with more severe impairments showed a larger decrease at T4. Improvements in physical capacity and waist circumference were significantly associated with improvements in body satisfaction.

Conclusions

Body satisfaction significantly increased during the training period, but significantly decreased during follow-up. Additional efforts might be necessary to keep individuals engaged in long-term exercise.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Body image disturbances are frequently described in individuals with a physical impairment.

• An increase in body image can be achieved by improvements in physical capacity and waist circumference as a consequence of training.

• It is important to keep individuals engaged in exercise, as body satisfaction decreases after termination of the training period.

• For individuals with severe physical impairments additional efforts are necessary to keep them engaged in exercise.

Keywords:

• body image
• spinal cord injuries
• rehabilitation
• physical fitness
• body composition
• wheelchairs
• exercise
• physical activity

Acknowledgments

We thank Kathleen Martin Ginis, PhD, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada, for her support with the Body Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Disclosure statement

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

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, IK, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by HandicapNL (project no. R2015028), Stichting Mitialto, Stichting Beatrixoord Noord-Nederland (project no. 210.175), University Medical Center Groningen, Heliomare Rehabilitation Center and Stichting Handbike Events.