Background: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between physical activity (PA) levels and mental health in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Three hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area were invited to recruit patients with SCI (n = 103). PA levels were measured by the Leisure Score Index of the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ). The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used to assess mental health. Results: Compared to the least physically active participants (1st tertile, 44.09 ± 52.74 min/week), the most physically active participants (3rd tertile, 670.86 ± 354.97 min/week) scored significantly lower on PHQ-9 (17.03 ± 5.70 vs. 12.49 ± 4.01, p < 0.001), GAD-7 (13.24 ± 4.78 vs. 9.86 ± 3.15, p < 0.001), while significantly higher MSPSS (51.24 ± 10.17 vs. 61.37 ± 11.90, p < 0.001) after the results were adjusted for age, gender, American Spinal Cord Injury Association impairment scale, and impaired spinal cord levels. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the PA was a significant predictor of depression (β = -1.50, p = 0.01), anxiety (β = -1.12, p = 0.02), and social support (β = 4.04, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Higher PA participation was associated with lower depression, anxiety, and higher social support scores.
Keywords: mental health; physical activity; spinal cord injury.