Abstract
The present study aims to compare quality of life, depression, anxiety symptoms, and profile of mood state of wheelchair athletes and non-athletes. Thirty-nine basketball and rugby wheelchair athletes (n = 23, nine women, age 36.0 ± 10.0 years; body mass 66.2 ± 13.8 kg; height 170.0 ± 8.5 cm) and non-athletes (n = 16, 4 women, 39.0 ± 14.2 years; body mass 79.6 ± 17.2 kg; height 170.0 ± 6.4 cm) were recruited. Quality of life, anxiety and depressive symptoms and mood disorders were evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and Profile of Mood State questionnaire, respectively. Comparison between groups (non-athletes vs. athletes) was performed using Student’s t-test for independent samples. No differences (p > 0.05) were found between non-athletes vs. athletes regards to quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms and profile of mood state. Overall, non-athletes and athletes presented medium anxiety symptoms and mild to moderate depressive symptoms. In conclusion, the wheelchair athletes and non-athletes presented similar quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and profile of mood state.
Highlights
There is a growing number of people with disabilities who participate in regular physical activity/sports programs with ludic and rehabilitation purposes as well as with elite sport performance purposes (Bhambhani, 2002; De Lira et al, 2010; Lee and Uihlein, 2019)
The research hypothesis is that people with disabilities, especially those wheelchair users that not practicing sports, would present poor levels of quality of life, anxiety and depressive symptoms, a negative profile of mood state as compared with wheelchair users practicing sports
Regarding to the evaluation of quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms and profile of mood state, no significant differences were found between the mean scores of the nonathlete and athlete groups (Tables 3, 4)
Summary
There is a growing number of people with disabilities (including wheelchair users) who participate in regular physical activity/sports programs with ludic and rehabilitation purposes as well as with elite sport performance purposes (Bhambhani, 2002; De Lira et al, 2010; Lee and Uihlein, 2019). Quality of Life of Wheelchairs Users impact on social, psychological and physical aspects (Côté-Leclerc et al, 2017). Wheelchair sports consist a favorable opportunity for people with disabilities by increasing the possibility of social integration and physical, motor, psychological, and neurological rehabilitation (Lee and Uihlein, 2019). Despite of indisputable benefits of exercise and sports for people with disabilities, there are some barriers that prevent the participation of people with disabilities (including wheelchair users) in adapted sports. These barriers could be divided into psychological, physical, physiologic, and environmental factors (Côté-Leclerc et al, 2017). In general, people with disabilities have low self-esteem and confidence, decreased motivation, increased depression and pain, and high stress level which affect negatively quality of life (Lee and Uihlein, 2019)
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