Browsing by Author "Gabriels, Aeysha"

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    Physical activity behaviour of community dwelling persons with traumatic spinal cord injuries in Cape Town, South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) Gabriels, Aeysha
    Background: A spinal cord injury is a devastating condition, associated with permanent disability and decreased life expectancy. Persons with spinal cord injuries (PwSCIs) often lead sedentary lifestyles, which set in motion a cascade of comorbidities linked to lifestyle behaviours. There is growing evidence indicating that decreasing sedentary behaviour and improving physical activity (PA) are connected to favourable rehabilitation outcomes namely health status and physical functioning. There is paucity of evidence to support this postulation in our setting. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess PA behaviour of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) patients in Cape Town/Western Cape. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed in this study. The population consisted of community- dwelling adults with traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs). Only individuals who have lived in the community for at least one year following injury were recruited. Participants were sourced from the database (2016-2020) of Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town using a sample of convenience. A total of 403 adults with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) was retrieved from the database (2016-2020). From the 297 people who met the inclusion criteria, 76 participants were included in the study. A large proportion (n=214) could not be reached, 10 relocated to other areas and provinces in South Africa, and 2 declined to participate in the study. The study took place in 42 communities of the Cape Metropole.
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    Physical activity behaviour of community-dwelling persons with traumatic spinal cord injuries in Cape Town, South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Gabriels, Aeysha; Joseph, Conran
    Background: A spinal cord injury is a devastating condition, associated with permanent disability and decreased life expectancy. Persons with spinal cord injuries (PwSCIs) often lead sedentary lifestyles, which set in motion a cascade of comorbidities linked to lifestyle behaviours. There is growing evidence indicating that decreasing sedentary behaviour and improving physical activity (PA) are connected to favourable rehabilitation outcomes namely health status and physical functioning. There is paucity of evidence to support this postulation in our setting. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess PA behaviour of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) patients in Cape Town/Western Cape. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional design was employed in this study. The population consisted of community- dwelling adults with traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs). Only individuals who have lived in the community for at least one year following injury were recruited. Participants were sourced from the database (2016-2020) of Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town using a sample of convenience. A total of 403 adults with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) was retrieved from the database (2016-2020). From the 297 people who met the inclusion criteria, 76 participants were included in the study. A large proportion (n=214) could not be reached, 10 relocated to other areas and provinces in South Africa, and 2 declined to participate in the study.
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    Physical activity of community-dwelling adults with traumatic spinal cord injuries in the Cape Metropole
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2025) Gabriels, Aeysha; Ismail, Toughieda; Bezuidenhout, Lucian
    In developing countries, spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are currently a public health concern (Jesuyajolu et al. 2023). In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that over 15 million people currently live with an SCI worldwide (WHO 2024). In South Africa, the incidence rate for traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) was estimated at 76 per million people, which was found to be one of the highest when compared to developed, Western countries (Joseph et al. 2015). Globally, adults with SCIs often lead very sedentary lifestyles, and this predisposes them to develop secondary complications and puts them at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and obesity (Cragg et al. 2013; Garcίa Massó, Serra-Añó & Gonzalez 2015; Nooijen et al. 2015; Warms, Whitney & Belza 2008). In the previous literature, it was noticed that there is a 17% prevalence of CVD among the SCI population compared to a 5% prevalence among the non-SCI population (Cragg et al. 2013). Physical activity (PA), however, is an important modifiable factor in decreasing the risks of CVD, stroke and diabetes (Cragg et al. 2013; Garcίa-Massó et al. 2015; Nooijen et al. 2015; Warms et al. 2008)