Supporting physical activity for health: What activities would people with transtibial amputation like to perform?

Background: Participation in physical activity (PA) for health by people with transtibial amputation (PTTA) may moderate comorbidities experienced by this population. It is more likely that interventions which aim to increase participation by PTTA in PA for health will increase participation if the type of PA used is tailored to the preferences of the PTTA.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the types of PA performed by PTTA, the types of PA PTTA who performed no physical activities would like to adopt, and if these outcomes were influenced by the cause of amputation.

Methods: The cross-sectional survey was accessible through an online survey tool and in paper format. It was distributed primarily at sports events and relevant locations, which support people with limb differences. A total of 115 PTTA adults (both active and those who did not perform any physical activities) completed the survey, consisting of 65 people with amputation due to traumatic causes and 50 people with amputation due to nontraumatic causes.

Results: From all PTTA respondents, the most popular current activities were walking (N = 42), going to the gym (N = 39), swimming (N = 35), and cycling (N = 32). For PTTA who did not perform any physical activity, the most popular PA they would like to participate in were walking (N = 10), going to the gym (N = 8), swimming (N = 7), and cycling (N = 6). While there are differences in the hierarchy of popularity of different types of PA depending on the cause of amputation, these results indicate some consistencies.

Conclusions: Walking, going to the gym, swimming, and cycling appear throughout the results, indicating a potential to encourage PTTA participation in PA for health through these activities.