Background: Adults with physical or intellectual disability are less active than those without disability. Objective: To review literature regarding sport participation in adults with physical or intellectual disability. Specifically, to examine characteristics of available studies including participants, interventions, outcomes, and impact. Methods: A scoping review was completed. Searches of 6 databases and a trial registry plus citation tracking were undertaken. Two independent reviewers screened items for eligibility and extracted data about the studies, participants, interventions, and outcomes. A single reviewer extracted data to quantify impacts of sport participation, classified as favorable, insignificant, or unfavorable. Results: 164 studies involving 11,642 participants were included. Most studies (128/164) used a cross-sectional design. Most participants were men (81%) with physical disability (135/164), and spinal cord injury was the most prevalent underlying health condition (54%). Most studies evaluated a mix of sports (83/164) in a disability-specific context (159/164), with basketball or wheelchair basketball being the most common individual sport (28/164). Physical impairment was the most frequently reported outcome domain (85/334 results). Sports participation impact was classified as 55% favorable, 42% insignificant, and 3% unfavorable. Conclusions: There were many favorable and few unfavorable outcomes for participation in sport for adults with physical or intellectual disability. More research is needed to address the evidence gaps of gender, health condition, and type of sport, and to use more rigorous research designs to evaluate the effects of sport participation. While new evidence is generated, we suggest adults with physical or intellectual disability be encouraged to engage in sport. Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018104379.
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The Effects of Sport Participation for Adults With Physical or Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review
Leanne Hassett, Anne M. Moseley, Marnee J. McKay, Jenni Cole, Sakina Chagpar, Minke P.J. Geerts, Wing S. Kwok, Connie Jensen, Catherine Sherrington, and Nora Shields
Effects of Walking-Only Intervention on Physical Function, Fall-Related Outcomes, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Tomoya Ishigaki, Shogo Misu, Toshinori Miyashita, Daisuke Matsumoto, Midori Kamiya, Akio Okamae, Tatsuya Ogawa, Hikaru Ihira, Yoshiaki Taniguchi, Takeshi Ohnuma, Tomohisa Chibana, Natsu Morikawa, Tome Ikezoe, and Hyuma Makizako
This study aimed to determine the effects of walking-only intervention (walking was the only exercise in which people participated) on physical function, fall-related outcomes, and health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults. We conducted a systematic search across five electronic databases, assessing risk of bias using Minds Manual for Guideline Development. Meta-analyses were performed, and pooled standardized mean differences were calculated. Nine studies (a total of 1,309 participants) were included, showing that walking-only interventions improved walking endurance (standardized mean difference: 1.11, 95% confidence interval: [0.08, 2.15]) and health-related quality of life (standardized mean difference: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: [0.18, 1.25]). However, there were no significant improvements in other outcomes. The certainty of the evidence based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach for all outcomes was graded as very low, primarily due to significant inconsistency and imprecision. Our results suggest that walking-only intervention can be effective for enhancing walking endurance and health-related quality of life for community-dwelling older adults. Further studies are required to investigate the effects of walking-only intervention. This need stems from the limited number of randomized controlled trials, heterogeneous intervention settings and results, and the very low certainty of the evidence.
The Relationship Between Actual Motor Competence and Physical Activity in Children: Mediating Roles of Perceived Motor Competence and Physical Activity Enjoyment
Murat Cimen, Semiyha Tuncel, and Fehmi Tuncel
This study’s objective was to examine whether the relationship between actual motor competence and physical activity (PA) in children is mediated by perceived motor competence (PMC) and physical activity enjoyment. The participants consisted of a total of 167 students (male = 92, female = 75) in 10 different schools in the fourth grade of primary schools in the central district of Isparta Province, Turkey, during the 2020–2021 academic year. Multiple parallel mediation analysis was used to examine the mediation role in the analysis of the data, and regression analysis based on the bootstrapping method was performed. As a result of the research, it was seen that PMC had a full mediating role between actual motor competence and PA (b = 0.003, 95% confidence interval [0.002, 0.094]). On the other hand, it was determined that PA enjoyment did not have a mediating role in this relationship (b = 0.001, 95% confidence interval [−0.002, 0.005]). The total indirect effect was not significant (b = 0.005, 95% confidence interval [−0.000, 0.012]). The multiple mediation analysis showed that PMC accounted for 23.2% of the total effect of actual motor competence on PA. In conclusion, the findings show that PMC is an important variable in participation in PA. Therefore, PMC should be considered a key outcome in physical education.
Whose Helmet? Reconsidering American Football’s Iconic Equipment
Noah Cohan
In this project, I examine the manner in which fans and players of American football understand the plastic safety helmet. My findings are built on a series of qualitative interviews conducted with helmet aficionados and former players. While conventional wisdom would suggest that the protective purpose is the primary function of the helmet, I demonstrate that in practice it is secondary. The foremost service of the helmet is to convey meaning through team, regional, aesthetic, and branding signifiers, which shape how individuals affiliate themselves with the game, form their fan or player identity, and consume football and football equipment. Although they do so in different ways, both groups, players and aficionados, fetishize the object; exemplifying the way in which masculinity and materiality have become intertwined in the game of football, such that the helmet functions as an abstract avatar of heteronormative manliness.
Assessing the Accuracy of Activity Classification Using Thigh-Worn Accelerometry: A Validation Study of ActiPASS in School-Aged Children
Claas Lendt, Pasan Hettiarachchi, Peter J. Johansson, Scott Duncan, Charlotte Lund Rasmussen, Anantha Narayanan, and Tom Stewart
Background: The ActiPASS software was developed from the open-source Acti4 activity classification algorithm for thigh-worn accelerometry. However, the original algorithm has not been validated in children or compared with a child-specific set of algorithm thresholds. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of ActiPASS in classifying activity types in children using 2 published sets of Acti4 thresholds. Methods: Laboratory and free-living data from 2 previous studies were used. The laboratory condition included 41 school-aged children (11.0 [4.8] y; 46.5% male), and the free-living condition included 15 children (10.0 [2.6] y; 66.6% male). Participants wore a single accelerometer on the dominant thigh, and annotated video recordings were used as a reference. Postures and activity types were classified with ActiPASS using the original adult thresholds and a child-specific set of thresholds. Results: Using the original adult thresholds, the mean balanced accuracy (95% CI) for the laboratory condition ranged from 0.62 (0.56–0.67) for lying to 0.97 (0.94–0.99) for running. For the free-living condition, accuracy ranged from 0.61 (0.48–0.75) for lying to 0.96 (0.92–0.99) for cycling. Mean balanced accuracy for overall sedentary behavior (sitting and lying) was ≥0.97 (0.95–0.99) across all thresholds and conditions. No meaningful differences were found between the 2 sets of thresholds, except for superior balanced accuracy of the adult thresholds for walking under laboratory conditions. Conclusions: The results indicate that ActiPASS can accurately classify different basic types of physical activity and sedentary behavior in children using thigh-worn accelerometer data.
Developing a Framework to Evaluate the Validity of Longitudinal Accelerometer-Based Indicators of Physical Activity Maintenance
Genevieve F. Dunton, Wei-Lin Wang, Jixin Li, Donald Hedeker, Stephen S. Intille, and Alexander J. Rothman
Does Attraction Toward Physical Activity Predict Physical Activity Behavior in Older Adults?
Brynn L. Hudgins, Yeongjun Seo, Kelsey M. Bittel, Kemiah Williams, Derek J. Hevel, Jeffrey D. Labban, and Jackie P. Maher
Background/Objectives: Few studies have investigated associations between the motivational outcome based on physical activity (PA) affective experiences (i.e., attraction vs. antipathy toward PA) and behavior. This study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between attraction (vs. antipathy) toward PA and device-based PA in older adults. Methods: Older adults (n = 139; 71% female, M age = 70.5) completed assessments of attraction (vs. antipathy) toward PA and 14 days of device-based accelerometry at Times 1 and 2. Results: Greater attraction toward PA at Time 1 was associated with greater steps (β = 5.31, p < .01) and moderate to vigorous intensity PA (β = 3.08, p < .05) at Time 1. Greater attraction toward PA at Time 1 was not significantly associated with steps or moderate to vigorous intensity PA at Time 2. Conclusion: Greater emphasis on resultant motivation from PA affective experiences may be useful in promoting PA in older adults. Significance/Implications: In spite of mixed findings in the present study, there is strong evidence that positive affective responses during a single bout of PA play an important role in predicting future engagement. Yet, affective experiences during PA can be individualistic and often influenced by contextual factors. Interventions designed to increase PA should focus on factors that may create positive affective experiences for participants.
Generative Artificial Intelligence Users Beware: Ethical Concerns of ChatGPT Use in Publishing Research
Samuel W. Logan
Barriers and Facilitators for Physical Activity Among Children and Youth With Autism—A Scoping Review
Ingrid Okkenhaug, Magnus Rom Jensen, and Solvor Solhaug
Background: The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically synthesize barriers and facilitators for physical activity (PA) among children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) across the socioecological model. Methods: Five electronic databases were searched in March 2022 for studies examining barriers and facilitators for PA among children and youth with ASD. An updated search was performed in April 2024. The framework synthesis method was utilized, and the socioecological model was the chosen framework. Results: Fifty-four studies published from 2008 to 2024 were included. Among the included studies, 57% included the perspectives of children and youth with ASD alone or together with proxies (eg, parents, teachers, and coaches), while 43% included only the perspectives of proxies. Barriers and facilitators on the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels were most substantial. The analysis led to 2 main categories of barriers and facilitators, those unique to children and youth with ASD, and those similar to what had been identified through research on children and youth, both typically developing and with other disabilities. Conclusions: This comprehensive scoping review shows the complexity of factors contributing to barriers and facilitators for PA among children and youth with ASD, and highlights both the factors unique to this population and more general factors affecting PA participation. The findings from this synthesis might be used to guide the development of inclusive PA in physical education, organized sports, and other community PA arenas.
Embedding Multimodal Rehabilitation Within Routine Cancer Care in Sheffield—The Active Together Service Evaluation Protocol
Anna Myers, Liam Humphreys, Michael Thelwell, Katie Pickering, Gabbi Frith, Gail Phillips, Carol Keen, Robert Copeland, and on behalf of the Active Together Clinical Advisory Group
Background: Approximately 3 million people in the United Kingdom are currently living with or beyond cancer. People undergoing treatment for cancer are at risk of complications following treatment. Increasing evidence supports the role of rehabilitation (including prehabilitation) in enhancing psychological and physical well-being in patients with cancer and improving outcomes. Active Together is an evidence-based, multimodal rehabilitation service for patients with cancer, providing support to help patients prepare for and recover from treatment. This paper presents the evaluation protocol for the Active Together service, aiming to determine its impact on patient-reported outcomes and clinical endpoints, as well as understand processes and mechanisms that influence its delivery and outcomes. Methods: This evaluation comprises an outcome and process evaluation, with service implementation data integrated into the analysis of outcome measures. The outcome evaluation will assess changes in outcomes of patients that attend the service and compare health care resource use against historical data. The process evaluation will use performance indicators, semistructured interviews, and focus groups to explore mechanisms of action and contextual factors influencing delivery and outcomes. Integrating psychological change mechanisms with outcome data might help to clarify complex causal pathways within the service. Conclusions: Evidence to support the role of multimodal rehabilitation before, during, and after cancer treatment is increasing. The translation of that evidence into practice is less advanced. Findings from this evaluation will contribute to our understanding of the real-world impact of cancer rehabilitation and strengthen the case for widespread adoption of rehabilitation into routine care for people with cancer.
