Physical Activity and Quality of Life Experienced by Highly Active Individuals with Physical Disabilities

The present study examined links between physical activity and quality of life experienced by individuals with physical disabilities recruited from a wheelchair user's basketball tournament. The participants included 12 male and 14 female adults between the ages of 18-54 (M = 31.12, SD = 10.75)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Adapted physical activity quarterly 2008-07, Vol.25 (3), p.189-207
Main Authors: Giacobbi, Peter R., Jr, Stancil, Michael, Hardin, Brent, Bryant, Lance
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adults
Assistive Technology
Athletics
Basketball - physiology
Basketball - psychology
Correlation
Disabled Persons - psychology
Empowerment
Exercise
Female
Grounded Theory
Humans
Interviews
Interviews as Topic
Male
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Motivation
Motor Activity - physiology
Physical Activities
Physical Activity Level
Physical Disabilities
Physical Health
Psychological Patterns
Quality of Life
Quality of Life - psychology
Self Efficacy
Social Influences
Team Sports
Wheelchairs
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Description
Summary:The present study examined links between physical activity and quality of life experienced by individuals with physical disabilities recruited from a wheelchair user's basketball tournament. The participants included 12 male and 14 female adults between the ages of 18-54 (M = 31.12, SD = 10.75) who all reported one or more condition(s) that impacted their daily living. They were administered the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (Washburn, Weimo, McAuley, Frogley, & Figoni, 2002) and in-depth interviews focused on their physical activity experiences and evaluations about their quality of life. Grounded theory analyses (Charmaz, 2000, 2002) revealed that individuals who use wheelchairs perceived a number of psychological, social, and health benefits associated with physical activity involvement. The participants' evaluations and descriptions of their physical activity experiences appeared to support self-efficacy beliefs, feelings of empowerment, and motivation for continued involvement. First-person descriptions are presented to demonstrate how and why physical activity behaviors were perceived to enhance the quality of the participants' lives. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 2 notes.)
ISSN:0736-5829
1543-2777
DOI:10.1123/apaq.25.3.189