Aerobic Exercise, Mtbi History, And Health-related Quality Of Life Among Military Service Members And Veterans.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common among military service members and veterans (SMVs). Moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (MVAE) is a modifiable behavior with potential benefits for individuals with acute or chronic mTBI, but the impact of exercise participation on TBI outcomes are not well understood. PURPOSE: Explore the relationship between mTBI history and MVAE and determine whether MVAE participation and lifetime mTBI were associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among SMVs. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the LIMBIC-CENC prospective, longitudinal study. Lifetime mTBI history was captured via structured interviews and operationalized as 0, 1-2, or 3+ mTBIs. Self-reported MVAE participation was operationalized based on recommendations from the Dept. of Health and Human Services into 1) no MVAE; 2) MVAE below recommended levels; 3) MVAE meeting weekly recommendations; and 4) ≥2 times the recommendations. Participants self-reported HRQoL via TBI-QOL instruments: anxiety, cognition (general concerns), emotional & behavioral dyscontrol, fatigue, executive function, pain interference, resilience, and ability to participate in social roles and activities. The relationship between mTBI history and MVAE category was assessed via Pearson’s Chi-Square. Separate multivariable linear regression models were fit for each TBI-QOL domain T-Score. Predictor variables were mTBI history and MVAE category, with age and sex as covariates. RESULTS: Among the n = 1,660 participants (87% male; aged 42.6 ± 10.0 years), MVAE category did not differ by lifetime mTBI history (p = 0.19). Higher MVAE participation and fewer lifetime mTBIs were each related to more adaptive HRQoL in all domains (ps ≤ 0.007; Table 1). CONCLUSION: MVAE is a modifiable factor associated with better TBI-related HRQoL regardless of mTBI history. MVAE is recommended for SMVs due to these findings and known health benefits in the general population.This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs via 19 individual awards from the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. The views, opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations expressed are those of the authors and not the U.S. Government.