ABSTRACT
Objective
This scoping review mapped the current evidence about community-based physical activity (PA) interventions for individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and identified the reported health-related outcomes, measurement tools used, and considerations given to sex and gender.
Methods
Searches were conducted in six academic databases for peer-reviewed articles (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and PEDro). PRISMA Scoping Review guidelines were followed. Two reviewers independently screened articles for inclusion and extracted data for the analysis with a modified Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT). Health-related outcomes were classified with domains of the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF).
Results
19 studies were identified. Seven PA intervention types were included. CERT scores varied (M = 12.74, SD = 3.51 items), with limited details for replication. ICF outcomes focused on improving body functions (74%), activities and participation (14%), environmental factors (1%), and other: not covered (11%). Only four studies (21%) stratified their results by sex or gender.
Conclusions
Identified PA interventions from this review revealed common characteristics that led to improved outcomes. Proposed recommendations aim to improve future research and community practice. There is a pressing need for more sex and gender considerations in PA research after moderate-to-severe TBI.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2022.2059815