Updating the Montreal walking exoskeleton satisfaction and perspectives questionnaire (MWESP-Q) following a 16-week walking program with the use of a wearable robotic exoskeleton

BACKGROUND: Physical activity as one of the major lifestyle-related health determinants is partially addressed by the Montreal Walking Exoskeleton Satisfaction and Perspectives-Questionnaire (MWESP-Q). OBJECTIVE: To document satisfaction of people with chronic spinal cord injury after the completion of a 10 to 16 weeks of the wearable robotic exoskeleton-assisted walking program, with the MWESP-Q updated to a context of health promotion. METHODS: Following a walking program (10-16 weeks), wheelchair users with chronic SCI completed the MWESP-Q online. Modification of the original questionnaire was conducted with 4 experts to ensure its content validity with a human framework to promote physical activity for health. RESULTS: Ten wheelchair users completed the questionnaire (men = 6; 45.8 +/- 13.4 years, SCI duration: 10.1 +/- 5.8 years). Participants strongly agreed to be satisfied with the overall program; agreed to be satisfied towards exoskeleton, motivation to engage in physical activity, learnability and program attributes; rated "medium effort" for physical and cognitive exertion during training; reported light improvements for health benefit domain, but light to moderate improvements for general endurance (mean 5.5 /7, SD 1.4) and psychological well-being (mean 5.7 /7, SD 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The updated MWESP-Q is now better equipped to measure physical and cognitive efforts in physical activity and changes in body and organic systems and in capabilities (health promotion). The updated MWESP-Q has 54 statements (14 additional statements and 1 deleted) organized around seven domains. The original measure was replaced by three 7-point Likert scales, one regarding agreement level (40 statements), level of effort (12 statements), and level of change (2 statements).