Assessing the Feasibility of Implementing an Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Program

Background: Adults with an ambulatory disability are at higher risk of obesity and sequalae from obesity than aged-matched adults without disability. Research shows adults with an ambulatory disability are less likely to participate in the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week than able-bodied adults. Access to adaptive exercise could help increase physical activity participation in adults with ambulatory disability. Objective: This observational study examines the accessibility of adaptive exercise programs throughout the United States and determines how it relates to the population of adults with an ambulatory disability. Methods: Adaptive exercise sites (n=268) were identified via internet searches to form a comprehensive database. Population data were collected from the US Census Bureau. Statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA, Fisher’s LSD) was completed to determine the significance of adaptive exercise programing deficits among different regions of the United States. Results: A total of 268 adaptive exercise sites throughout the United States were identified and evaluated. On average, 8.13% ± 1.65% of each state’s population ≥ 18 years of age has an ambulatory disability. Each state had an average of 2.68 ± 3.81 sites per 100,000 people with an ambulatory disability. Conclusions: Areas within the United States with high populations of adults with ambulatory disability do not have sufficient access to adaptive exercise. Physical activity is important for reducing morbidity in those with disability and thus it is important to increase accessibility. The proportion of state population with an ambulatory disability and availability of adaptive exercise sites within each state were found to be negatively correlated.