Exploring Opportunities to Improve Physical Activity in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury Using Context-Aware Messaging

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects the mobility of 250,000 people per year worldwide. Physical activity (PA) in individuals with SCI is positively associated with improved mental and physical health outcomes. Mobile technologies have been developed to motivate individuals with SCI to increase PA using activity tracking and real-time feedback. We conducted semi-structured interviews and participatory design sessions with 15 manual wheelchair users with SCI and eight of their family members/friends to investigate user impressions of future technologies that might use computer-mediated, sensor-triggered communication to motivate PA. We assessed barriers to PA and how context-aware communication could help overcome them. Participants with SCI expressed that PA tracking and communication technologies must be tailored to their specific needs. Further analysis revealed that context-aware messaging could help participants with SCI connect with others to initiate timely conversations about overcoming PA barriers, and to provide encouragement to meet their PA goals. We discuss opportunities to empower individuals with SCI with regards to PA using tailored, context-aware communication.