Exploring motivations to be active among amputees: a phenomenological approach to leisure time physical activity.

PURPOSE: People with disabilities are less active and experience increased burden of disease compared to those without disabilities. Leisure time physical activity (LTPA) participation is strongly related to improved health in all populations. Despite this, research with amputees focuses heavily on prosthetic design and function, leaving amputees an under-represented population in LTPA and motivation research. This study explored the lived experiences of motivation to engage in LTPA among amputees. METHOD: Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach, influenced by understandings of embodiment and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), was used. Six people with lower extremity, acquired amputations created a photo-diary of their motivations to be active and participated in two in-depth interviews each. RESULTS: Study findings suggest motivations to be active among amputees are primarily influenced by personal relationships. Barriers, facilitators, and processes to be active provided insight into how LTPA participation may be affected by more than motivation. Embodiment was experienced as bodily integration of the prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence that the relationship between motivation and participation is not direct, but influenced by facilitators, barriers, and processes to be active. The results suggest strategies to increase activity among amputees by emphasizing LTPA with others, improving the built environment, and ensuring prosthesis fit.

Older adults and political participation on the Internet: a cross-cultural comparison of the USA and China.

Older adults are not only lagging behind in terms of physical access to the Internet but also in engaging in political activities in the online environment. The findings from two independent studies bridging the USA and China suggest that older adults, even when they have access to the Internet, have ambivalent or negative attitudes toward political activities online. As political participation is seen as one of the key social benefits of the Internet and many governments are moving interactions with citizens into the online environment through e-government, the hesitance of older adults to engage in political participation via the Internet is a significant social and political issue that deserves further study and discussion internationally. This paper reviews the social impact of the Internet on political participation and the possible forms of political participation among older Internet users, examining the data from the two studies in terms of the parallel issues of older adults' attitudes toward political participation online and different cultural understandings of political participation. The findings from the comparison of the data are examined and the growing importance of this area of study is detailed. Ultimately, this paper offers suggestions for future research in the area of older adults, political participation, and the Internet.

Community response grids: using information technology to help communities respond to bioterror emergencies.

Access to accurate and trusted information is vital in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an emergency. To facilitate response in large-scale emergency situations, Community Response Grids (CRGs) integrate Internet and mobile technologies to enable residents to report information, professional emergency responders to disseminate instructions, and residents to assist one another. CRGs use technology to help residents and professional emergency responders to work together in community response to emergencies, including bioterrorism events. In a time of increased danger from bioterrorist threats, the application of advanced information and communication technologies to community response is vital in confronting such threats. This article describes CRGs, their underlying concepts, development efforts, their relevance to biosecurity and bioterrorism, and future research issues in the use of technology to facilitate community response.