Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Perspective
  • Published:

Multidimensionality of leisure-time physical activity behaviour in adults with spinal cord injury: implications for measurement

Spinal Cord volume 62, pages 88–90 (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

The Physical Activity Recall Assessment for People with SCI (PARA-SCI) has demonstrated the best test-retest reliability and validity of self-report measures of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) for adults with SCI. However, the absence of internal consistency reliability data has been raised as a concern. Internal consistency is relevant only for unidimensional measures. In other populations, LTPA is known to be a multidimensional construct, evaluated with multidimensional measures. We tested for unidimensionality through secondary analysis of PARA-SCI data (n = 703). Cronbach’s α was 0.227. Principal components analysis showed two components/dimensions (‘Moderate and Heavy Intensity LTPA’ and ‘Mild Intensity LTPA’) explained 73% of the variance. Binary logic crosstabulation produced no discernible patterns of behavioural interrelatedness across LTPA intensities. Together, these data demonstrate the multidimensionality of LTPA and the PARA-SCI is not unidimensional. Internal consistency should not be a criterion for evaluating LTPA questionnaires for use in studies of people with SCI.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Martin Ginis KA, van der Ploeg HP, Foster C, Lai B, McBride CB, Ng K, et al. Participation of people living with disabilities in physical activity: a global perspective. Lancet. 2021;398:443–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. van den Berg-Emons RJ, Bussmann JB, Stam HJ. Accelerometry-based activity spectrum in persons with chronic physical conditions. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010;91:1856–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Nightingale TE, Rouse PC, Thompson D, Bilzon JLJ. Measurement of physical activity and energy expenditure in wheelchair users: methods, considerations and future directions. Sports Med – Open. 2017;3:10.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Martin Ginis KA, Latimer AE, Craven BC, Hicks AL. Development and evaluation of an activity measure for people with spinal cord injury. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2005;37:1099–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lankhorst K, Oerbekke M, van den Berg-Emons R, Takken T, de Groot J. Instruments measuring physical activity in individuals who use a wheelchair: a systematic review of measurement properties. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2020;101:535–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dunn TJ, Baguley T, Brunsden V. From alpha to omega: a practical solution to the pervasive problem of internal consistency estimation. Br J Psychol. 2014;105:399–412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Sijtsma K. On the use, the misuse, and the very limited usefulness of Cronbach’s alpha. Psychometrika. 2009;74:107–20.

    Article  MathSciNet  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Pettee Gabriel KK, Morrow JR Jr, Woolsey AL. Framework for physical activity as a complex and multidimensional behavior. J Phys Act Health. 2012;9:S11–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Terwee CB, Mokkink LB, van Poppel MN, Chinapaw MJ, van Mechelen W, de Vet HC. Qualitative attributes and measurement properties of physical activity questionnaires: a checklist. Sports Med. 2010;40:525–37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Martin Ginis KA, Latimer AE, Buchholz AC, Bray SR, Craven BC, Hayes KC, et al. Establishing evidence-based physical activity guidelines: methods for the study of health and activity in people with spinal cord injury (SHAPE SCI). Spinal Cord. 2008;46:216–21.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Martin Ginis KA, Latimer AE. Physical activity recall assessment for people with spinal cord injury: administration and scoring manual. University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada; 2018.

  12. Tavakol M, Dennick R. Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. Int J Med Educ. 2011;2:53–5.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. van der Scheer JW, Martin Ginis KA, Ditor DS, Goosey-Tolfrey V, Hicks AL, West CR, et al. Effects of exercise on fitness and health of adults with spinal cord injury: a systematic review. Neurology. 2017;89:736–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Martin Ginis KA, van der Scheer JW, Latimer-Cheung AE, Barrow A, Bourne C, Carruthers P, et al. Evidence-based scientific exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury: an update and a new guideline. Spinal Cord. 2018;56:308–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Martin Ginis KA, Arbour-Nicitopoulos KP, Latimer AE, Buchholz AC, Bray SR, Craven CC, et al. Leisure time physical activity in a population-based sample of people with spinal cord injury Part II: Activity types, intensities, and durations. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010;91:729–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Au JS, Totosy De Zepetnek JO, Macdonald MJ. Modeling perceived exertion during graded arm cycling exercise in spinal cord injury. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017;49:1190–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

KMG holds the Reichwald Family UBC Southern Medical Program Chair in Preventive Medicine.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada

    Fergus L. Lyons & Kathleen A. Martin Ginis

  2. Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Kelowna, BC, Canada

    Fergus L. Lyons & Kathleen A. Martin Ginis

  3. Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Kathleen A. Martin Ginis

  4. International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Kathleen A. Martin Ginis

Authors
  1. Fergus L. Lyons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kathleen A. Martin Ginis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

FL and KMG conceptualised the paper. FL designed the analysis plan, conducted the analyses and drafted sections of the manuscript. KMG drafted sections of the manuscript. Both authors edited the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathleen A. Martin Ginis.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lyons, F.L., Martin Ginis, K.A. Multidimensionality of leisure-time physical activity behaviour in adults with spinal cord injury: implications for measurement. Spinal Cord 62, 88–90 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-023-00947-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-023-00947-6

Search

Advanced search

Quick links