<p> A spinal cord injury (SCI) can be debilitating and research is necessary to examine how patients' quality of life (QOL) can be improved through both psychological and physical remedies. This study's central research question was: Does participation in surfing improve perceptions of quality oflife in an individual with spinal cord injury? By interviewing eight individuals with SCis, the researcher attempted to assess, by means of a qualitative semi-structured interviews, whether participation in surfing activities had a positive impact on the respondents' perceived QOL. Respondents experienced improved QOL as a result of their participation in surfing with the Life Rolls On foundation because they felt supported, independent, relaxed, and exhilarated. Their perceived QOL was improved by the benefits of making friends and feeling like part of a community. It was hypothesized that respondents would report psychological benefits from recreational post-injury physical activities. These findings indicate support for the hypothesis.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1527752 |
| Date | 10 June 2014 |
| Creators | Slayback, Benjamin G. |
| Publisher | California State University, Long Beach |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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