Ready, Set, Go: Increasing Awareness of the Social Benefits of Being Active Among People with Spinal Cord Injury

Previous research has shown that presenting yourself as an “exerciser” through participation in physical activity (PA) can help alleviate stigma associated with having a disability. The purpose of this study is to explore whether brief messages emphasizing the social benefits of PA affect intentions to engage in PA among people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Ninety inactive adults with SCI will respond to a baseline questionnaire and will receive a message promoting the social benefits of PA over the telephone. In a two-week follow-up interview, affective and instrumental attitudes, intentions, and stigma consciousness will be measured. Data is currently being collected and preliminary results will be presented. It is hypothesized that messages promoting social benefits of PA will lead to more positive attitudes and increased intentions to engage in PA.