Physical Activity and Mental Health in Persons With a Spinal Cord Injury Living With Chronic Pain: Baseline Data From the Exercise Guideline Promotion and Implementation in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between physical activity (PA) and fitness and mental health in persons with spinal cord injury (PwSCI) living with chronic pain. This cross-sectional baseline data analysis included n = 43 people PwSCI ≥ 18 years reporting chronic pain. We administered the Satisfaction with Life Scale, EuroQol anxiety/depression, ICEpop CAPability Measure for Adults (ICECAP-A) enjoyment and pleasure and achievement and progress, Spinal Cord Injury Quality of Life Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities scale, Leisure-Time PA Questionnaire for PwSCI, the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, and an arm-crank fitness test. Hierarchical multiple regressions, controlling for age, gender, injury level, fatigue, and pain, revealed that moderate to vigorous PA and fitness explained variance in enjoyment and pleasure (Δ R 2 = .133, R 2 = .344, p = .002), anxiety/depression (Δ R 2 = .125, R 2 = .258, p = .023), Satisfaction with Life Scale (Δ R 2 = .036, R 2 = .240, p = .030), achievement and progress (Δ R 2 = .084, R 2 = .260, p = .020), and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities (Δ R 2 = .074, R 2 = .444, p = .005). Future studies should test whether interventions that increase PA and fitness improve mental health in PwSCI living with chronic pain.