Able-bodied Counterparts Research Articles

Physical activity of children and adolescents with disabilities in Poland - First Para Report Card

BackgroundThis study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the Polish Para Report Card, which assesses various aspects of physical activity (PA) and related indicators among Polish children and adolescents with disabilities. This area has been under-researched, especially in the Polish context. MethodsThe research methodology included systematic literature searches from 2014 to 2022, utilizing databases such as PubMed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar. This was complemented by outreach to governmental institutions for additional reports and data. The search strategy was aligned with the Global Matrix methodology and aimed at evaluating ten distinct indicators: Overall PA, Organized Sport and PA, Active Play, Active Transportation, Sedentary Behavior, Family and Peers, School, Community and Environment, Government. ResultsGrades were assigned to three of ten indicators. The Overall PA, Sedentary Behavior, and Government indicators each received a D-grade. ConclusionsThe study reveals the need for an extensive system to monitor PA among Polish children and adolescents with disabilities, and the development of effective strategies to enhance PA in this group. Children with disabilities in Poland are under-researched in the area of PA compared to their their counterparts without disabilities.

Academics with disabilities during transformation to a New African University in South Africa

The idea of transformation to a ‘new African university’ has become topical in contemporary African education scholarship. Whilst it is claimed that the process seeks to include all stakeholders, academics with disabilities are excluded because of discourses and dynamics in Africa’s higher education that have remained deeply embedded in Eurocentric thinking and mind-set. This paper applied Critical Disability Theory to analyse the challenges that face academics with disabilities in the areas of teaching, research, community engagement and doctoral supervision in South African higher education and that must be appropriately and adequately addressed for a successful transformation to a “‘new’ African University”. Data were collected through an analysis of South African literature on exclusion of students with disabilities as research, community engagement and supervision are regarded as a continuum and involve both students and the academics. Findings revealed that academics with disabilities are confronted with specific challenges similar to those faced by students with disabilities, as they all function within the same context during transformation to a ‘new African university’. The challenges are inaccessible physical environment, negative attitudes from the community members, impairment-related disadvantages, lack of adequate funding and lack of adequate media for use, which all compound to limit their functioning like their able-bodied counterparts. Including the voice of academics with disabilities in disability policy was proposed as a way to alleviate the challenges they confront enabling them to contribute positively to scholarship and thus affirm the transformation to a new African University

Young para-athletes display more hedonic well-being than people with disabilities not taking part in competitive sports: insights from a multi-country survey.

Hedonic well-being relates to how individuals experience and rate their lives. People with disabilities due to their pathology may more frequently suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders than their able-bodied counterparts. Sports participation is an essential way to cope with disability. On the other hand, compared with their able-bodied peers, para-athletes undergo a unique series of stressors. Little is known in terms of hedonic well-being in this specific population. We present the results of a multi-country survey of self-perceived hedonic well-being by para-athletes of different sports disciplines and a control group (disabled individuals not playing competitive sports), using the "Psychological General Well-Being Index" (PGWBI). We included 1,208 participants, aged 17.39 years, 58.4% male, 41.6% female, and 70.3% para-athletes. Para-athletes exhibited higher well-being than disabled people, for all domains of the PGWBI scale. The nature of disability/impairment was significant, with those with acquired disability reporting lower well-being. Those taking part in wheelchair basketball, para-athletics, and para-swimming competitions had a higher likelihood of reporting well-being, whereas those engaged in wheelchair rugby exhibited lower well-being compared with controls. This large-scale investigation can enable a better understanding of the self-perceived hedonic well-being of disabled people.

Immunological Response to Exercise in Athletes with Disabilities: A Narrative Review of the Literature.

For a person with a disability, participating in sports activities and/or competitions can be a challenge for the immune system. The relationship between exercise and immunity response in disabled athletes is, indeed, extremely complex for several reasons, including (1) the chronic low-grade inflammatory and immunodepression-"secondary immune deficiency"-state imposed by the disability/impairment; (2) the impact of the disability on an array of variables, spanning from physical fitness to well-being, quality of life, sleep, and nutritional aspects, among others, which are known to mediate/modulate the effects of exercise on human health; (3) the variability of the parameters related to the exercise/physical activity (modality, frequency, intensity, duration, training versus competition, etc.); and (4) the intra- and inter-individual variability of the immunological response to exercise. In able-bodied athletes, previously published data described several exercise-induced changes affecting various immunological subsets and subpopulations, ranging from neutrophils to lymphocytes, and monocytes. Broadly, moderate intensity workout is accompanied by optimal immunity and resistance to infections such as upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in athletes. Periods of intense training with insufficient recovery can cause a temporary state of immunosuppression, which should end with a few days of rest/recovery from exercise. Disabled athletes are relatively overlooked and understudied with respect to their able-bodied counterparts. Findings from the few studies available on paralympic and disabled athletes are here summarized and analyzed utilizing a narrative approach to review and determine the major features of the immunological and inflammatory responses to exercise in this specific population. Moreover, a few studies have reported behavioral, dietary, and training strategies that can be adopted to limit exercise-induced immunosuppression and reduce the risk of infection in people with disabilities. However, given the paucity of data and contrasting findings, future high-quality investigations on paralympic and disabled athletes are urgently needed.

Listening to Students: The Experiences of Disabled Students of Learning in a Selected University in Zimbabwe

Disability is one of the most neglected forms of diversity, which usually results in the different forms of discrimination at community level. Nonetheless, more institutions of higher education are making an effort toward creating more inclusive settings for the students and staff. This study examined the lived experiences of the students with disabilities in an institution of higher education in Zimbabwe. Student experiences and disability are the main themes in this study. This study is phenomenological research that was carried out with a questionnaire survey which was conducted among seven participants. This was triangulated by interviews that involved two participants. Overall results showed that physical disability is the most prevalent amongst the students in the institution considered for the study. Moreover, the disabled students faced challenges at home and in their life at university, which affected them psychologically. In addition, while the students were conscious of the existing international and national protocols that promote their welfare, they were not well aware of those embedded within their university policies. Results also reveal that the disabled students suffered socially from stigma and negligence from their able-bodied counterparts and staff. Further, they had limited access to some of the physical structures that lacked ramps and lifts. To promote full participation of the disabled students in academic life, the institution is expected to formulate and implement a binding disability policy that promotes diversity and inclusive education. In addition, infrastructure, especially the old structures need to be refurbished with the disabled in mind.

Stepping responses for reactive balance for individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury

Incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) causes impairment of reactive balance control, leading to higher fall risk. In our previous work, we found that individuals with iSCI were more likely to exhibit multiple-step response during the lean-and-release (LR) test, where the participant leaned forward while a tether supported 8–12% of the body weight and received a sudden release, inducing reactive steps. Here we investigated the foot placement of people with iSCI during the LR test using margin-of-stability (MOS). Twenty-one individuals with iSCI (age: 56.1 ± 16.1 years old; mass: 72.5 ± 19.0 kg; height: 166 ± 12 cm), and fifteen age- and sex-matched able-bodied (AB) individuals (age: 56.1 ± 12.9 years old; mass: 57.4 ± 10.9 kg; height: 164 ± 8 cm) participated in the study. The participants performed ten trials of the LR test and also completed clinical assessment of balance and strengths, including the Mini-Balance Evaluations Systems Test, the Community Balance and Mobility Scale, gait speed, and lower extremity manual muscle testing. MOS was significantly smaller during multiple-step responses than during single-step responses for both individuals with iSCI and AB counterparts. Using binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses, we demonstrated that MOS can distinguish single- and multiple-step responses. In addition, individuals with iSCI demonstrated significantly larger intra-subject variability of MOS compared to AB individuals at first foot contact. Further, we found that MOS correlated with clinical measures of balance including one for reactive balance. We conclude that individuals with iSCI were less likely to demonstrate foot placement with sufficiently large MOS, which may increase the tendency to exhibit multiple-step responses.

Well-being and quality of life in people with disabilities practicing sports, athletes with disabilities, and para-athletes: Insights from a critical review of the literature.

Global well-being (GWB) is a complex, multi-dimensional, and multi-faceted construct that can be explored from two different, but often overlapping, complementary perspectives: the subjective and the objective ones. The subjective perspective, in turn, is comprised of two dimensions: namely, the hedonic and the eudaimonic standpoints. Within the former dimension, researchers have developed the concept of subjective hedonic well-being (SHWB), whereas, within the latter, they have built the framework of psychological and social well-being (PSWB). Disabled people have poorer well-being due to their pathology and may more frequently suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders than their able-bodied counterparts. Sports participation is an essential way to cope with disability. On the other hand, compared with their able-bodied peers, athletes with disabilities and para-athletes undergo a unique series of stressors. Little is known in terms of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being and quality of life in this specific population. Here, we review the literature, with an emphasis on the current state-of-art and gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed by future research. High-quality, large-scale investigations are needed to have a better understanding of the self-perceived (hedonic) and objective (eudaimonic) well-being and quality of life of disabled people practicing sports, athletes with disabilities, and para-athletes.

Impairment, Disability, and Substance Use Disorder

According to the social model of disability, it is not individuals’ impairments, but societal barriers that cause these impairments to be disabling. Impairment refers to the “loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function,” whereas disability is socially constructed and refers to the inability to independently complete one or more everyday tasks at a “normal” level of functioning. Existing research finds that disability serves as a chronic stressor, and those with disabilities report higher rates of substance use than their able-bodied counterparts. Therefore, this research will be among the first to combine the social model of disability with the stress process framework. It will examine the relationship between impairment and substance use and how disability, as a measure of chronic stress, may affect this relationship. More specifically, using data from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 42,739), this article examines the following two research questions: (1) What is the relationship between impairment and substance use disorder? and (2) Does disability, as a measure of chronic stress, mediate the relationship between impairment and substance use disorder? Findings reveal that those with an impairment have significantly greater odds of having a substance use disorder. However, the relationship between impairment and substance use disorder is fully mediated by disability. These findings indicate that disability or the chronic stress one faces living in an inaccessible society, not one’s impairments, are what accounts for the increased likelihood of substance use disorder among individuals with disabilities.

“I never really thought that a virtual ride would be that good!”: Experiences of participants with disabilities in online leisure-time physical activity during COVID-19

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the sedentary behavior and inactivity of people, including individuals with disability, who were already less active than their able-bodied counterparts. Therefore, it is particularly important to think about how to maintain and increase their leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). Online adaptive programs may represent a useful tool to do so. However, there is a little research focused on the health impacts of online LTPA. ObjectiveThis mixed-methods study aimed to explore the experiences of people with disabilities who participated in online adaptive LTPA along with the factors contributing to or limiting participation. MethodFirst, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 individuals participating in online adaptive LTPA offered by a community organization. Based on these interviews, a survey was developed and completed by 104 participants. ResultsThe results of the study suggested that people with disabilities can get a variety of physical and emotional health benefits when participating in adaptive online LTPA, including a strong social benefit. Staff attitude and knowledge as well as the staff's ability to adapt to participant needs played important roles in facilitating participation. Greater access to equipment was needed. ConclusionThis study offers insights into how online LTPA could support the health-promoting behavior of people with disabilities during the pandemic and beyond.

Step-free railway station access in the UK: the value of inclusive design

BackgroundDespite substantial investment in step-free access at UK railway stations, persons with reduced mobility (PRMs) continue to travel less than their able-bodied counterparts and little is known about the value of step-free access. This research examines the benefits of step-free access and its relationship with rail usage among PRMs, and the wider benefits of railway station accessibility.MethodsThese issues are explored through a mixed methods approach. Semi-structured interviews with ten key organisations were undertaken, as was an analysis of Senior/Disabled Persons Railcard data from 17 railway stations in Buckinghamshire, each with varying levels of step-free accessibility.ResultsThe results show that the benefits of step-free access extend beyond benefits at the individual level typically associated with those limited to PRMs, and demonstrate the potential to positively affect the society at large economically, environmentally, and socially. The findings also show a positive correlation between the level of step-free accessibility at a railway station and the percentage of PRMs using it.ConclusionsThis research argues that government and interested stakeholders should commit to expanding the number and coverage of step-free stations throughout the UK. They should ensure that the appraisal process for investment in step-free accessibility appropriately captures both user and non-user benefits.

Sleep disruption considerations for Paralympic athletes competing at Tokyo 2020.

The role of sleep is now recognized as an important component for success in athletic performance, and sleep is proposed to be one of the most effective recovery strategies available. Insufficient sleep is commonly reported among athletes while several factors have been put forward to explain why elite athletes might experience poor sleep. However, Paralympic athletes may be predisposed to a greater risk of poor sleep due to the associated complexities of some impairment types. In fact, clinical research has previously shown that individuals with disabilities have a higher prevalence of sleep disturbances when compared to their able-bodied counterparts. However, research and evidence-based practices regarding the sleep of elite Paralympic athletes are limited. Firstly, this narrative review aims to identify challenges associated with the Paralympic games to obtain optimal sleep. Secondly, identify the specific risk factors to sleep associated with particular impairment groups within the Paralympic population, and lastly to propose potential sleep-enhancing strategies that might be of relevance for Paralympic athletes. From this review, initial observations have identified that Paralympic athletes may have a heightened risk of sleep-related problems, and importantly highlighted the current lack of understanding within this population group. Furthermore, this review identified where further research is warranted to better understand how specific impairments impact sleep and, consequently, athletic performance. Additionally, this review highlighted that the forthcoming Tokyo games may offer a unique challenge for athletes trying to obtain optimal sleep, due to the anticipated thermal demands and the consequent irregular scheduling of events.

Understanding Injury and Injury Prevention in Para Sport Athletes.

Training loads, injury, and injury prevention in the Para sports population has not been well established. The purpose of this study was to survey elite-level swimming, cycling, and athletic Para sport athletes in the United States who were competing in the 2016 US Paralympic trials to better understand common injuries among athletes in each sport and to determine whether injury prevention programs were being utilized. Cross-sectional, survey study. The 2016 US Paralympic trials for swimming, cycling, and athletics. Athletes who competed in swimming, cycling, and/or athletics at the 2016 US Paralympic trials (N = 144; 83 males and 61 females). Participants completed electronic survey using Qualtrics XM (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) with questions pertaining to average number of hours trained per week, number of cross-training hours performed each week, descriptive information regarding sport-related injuries, pain, whether athletes received treatment for injuries, and descriptive information regarding whether the athletes had participated in an injury prevention program. Over 64% of respondents reported training greater than or equal to 11hours per week, and 45% of athletes reported spending greater than or equal to 6hours per week cross-training. Forty-two percent of athletes reported currently having pain with 34% reporting missing a competition because of injury. Only 24% of respondents reported having participated in an injury prevention program. Many Para sport athletes train at similar durations as able-bodied counterparts and have pain that interferes with their ability to train and compete, however, only a small percentage consistently perform injury prevention programs.

Politics of the body, fear and ubuntu: Proposing an African women’s theology of disability

There is increasing research on the inclusion and exclusion of people with disabilities in African spaces, which are perpetuated by religious and cultural fear. Decision to shun or embrace people is defined by the politics of the body and influenced by the religion and culture of fear. In politics of the body, women are discriminated against because their bodies are often controlled and put under surveillance. Women with disabilities experience this discrimination more than their able-bodied counterparts and men with disabilities. Written from the perspective of the ethic of ubuntu, this article examines the fear of disability among the Ndebele of Matetsi in Zimbabwe, as well as how the politics of the body are used by women with disabilities to denounce this fear. These women described how they used (in childhood) and (adulthood) and still use their bodies to call for inclusion in their communities. The article employs findings from the politics of the body emerging from the narratives of women with disabilities to propose an African women’s theology of disability. Contribution: The article problematises fear of disability as a cause of discrimination and exclusion of differently abled people particularly women with. It therefore proposes an African women’s theology of disability that is informed by the interdisciplinary approach of Ubuntu promoting the inclusion of all people including women with disabilities into the web of life.

The correlation between diffusion tensor imaging of the sacral cord and bladder contractility in people with tetraplegia.

Cross-sectional descriptive study. To compare the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) changes of the sacral cord in people with complete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and neurogenic bladder versus people without SCI, and to explore the relationship between sacral cord DTI changes and bladder contractility. First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, China. Forty participants were included: 25 participants with complete cervical SCI and 15 without SCI. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated by DTI for ventral horn and intermediate column of sacral cord at S2-S4 level. All participants underwent urodynamic examination. The urodynamic parameters (voiding efficiency (VE), and bladder contractility index (BCI)) and DTI parameters were compared between people with and without SCI. The correlations between DTI values (FA and ADC) and urodynamic parameters were analyzed. The FA values were significantly lower and the ADC values were significantly higher in the intermediate column and ventral horn at S2-S4 level of the participants with SCI compared with their able-bodied counterparts (p < 0.05). VE and BCI were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05). The FA values of intermediate column positively correlated with BCI (r = 0.749, p < 0.05) and the ADC values negatively correlated with BCI (r = -0.471, p < 0.05) in participants with SCI. The DTI values of sacral cord were not correlated with each urodynamic parameter in participants without SCI (p > 0.05). Complete cervical SCI might lead to microstructural changes of the sacral cord, which might further affect bladder contraction.

Sports-Related Injuries Sustained by Disabled Athletes in Winter Paralympic Games: A Systematic Review

Purpose: This review aimed to analyze and summarize current literature related to the characteristics, incidence of injuries of different winter Paralympic sports events and to discuss the key aspects that can be used to develop possible prevention strategies for future Winter Paralympic Games. Methods: An electronic search was performed in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science databases using the following key words: “Paralympic” AND “winter sports” AND “injury” OR “prevention strategy.” Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screening all the identified studies. Of 446 identified studies, 11 studies were included. Results: Most studies reported the injuries of disabled athletes in alpine skiing/snowboarding and ice sledge hockey, few studies reported injuries in cross-country skiing/biathlon and wheelchair curling. For these Winter Paralympic athletes, acute, traumatic injuries seem to be more common than overuse or chronic injuries, and alpine skiing and ice sledge hockey have always been the most dangerous winter sports events. However, the rates and injury locations appear to be disability and sport dependent. Results of this review demonstrated that there are 2 key areas in which specific prevention strategies would influence sports injuries and performance in Paralympic winter sports, namely, equipment in winter sports and physical condition of disabled athletes. Conclusion: According to the results, it is apparent that the overall injury rates sustained by disabled athletes are high and can be comparable with injury rates in able-bodied counterparts. While with few studies reported the pattern of injuries and possible prevention strategies, it is difficult to further understand the injury mechanisms and determine effective prevention strategies. Further longitudinal and disability specific studies are much needed.

Exploring Stereotypes of Athletes With a Disability: A Behaviors From Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes Map Comparison.

Identifying as a regular exerciser has been found to effectively alter stereotypes related to warmth and competence for adults with a physical disability; however, it remains unclear how sport participation can influence this trend. Therefore, this study aimed to examine warmth and competence perceptions of adults with a physical disability portrayed as elite and nonelite athletes relative to other athletic and nonathletic subgroups of adults with and without a physical disability in the context of the stereotype content model. Using survey data from able-bodied participants (N = 302), cluster analyses were applied to a behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes map for displaying the intersection of warmth and competence perceptions. The results demonstrated that adults with a physical disability who are described as elite athletes (i.e.,Paralympians) are clustered with high warmth and high competence, similar to their able-bodied athletic counterparts (i.e.,Olympians). The findings suggest that perceiving athletic and elite sport statuses for adults with a physical disability may counter the stereotypes commonly applied to this group.

Bone Health in Adaptive Sports Athletes

Adaptive sports athletes represent a growing population within the athletic community worldwide. Given potential cardiometabolic and psychosocial benefits of adaptive sports participation, the impact on bone health and injury risk in adaptive athletes is of increasing clinical interest. Impaired bone health as a result of low energy availability has been well described in able-bodied athletic women and, more recently, men as part of the female athlete triad and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). However, the applicability of these models to adaptive athletes remains unclear given altered physiology and biomechanics compared with able-bodied counterparts. Thus, a literature review was completed to characterize the influence of adaptive sports participation and associated risk factors for impaired bone health in this unique population. To date, limited investigations demonstrate a consistent, positive effect of sports participation on bone health. Risk factors for impaired bone health include low energy availability and micronutrient deficiency.

(Dis)abling Blame: the Influence of Disability Status on Attributions of Blame Toward Victims of Sexual Assault

The current study examined perceptions of blame toward a female sexual assault victim to determine whether disability status as either disabled or able-bodied would impact the level of attributed blame. Given misconceptions of women living with physical disabilities as asexual and not possessing the same sexual needs and desires as their able-bodied counterparts, we hypothesized that less blame for a sexual assault would be attributed to a victim with a physical disability than to one without a physical disability. Results did not support this hypothesis. In fact, levels of victim blame appear to be stable; both vignette characters were identified as equally culpable for their sexual assault. Interestingly, the vignette character living with a physical disability was identified as having a higher need for intimacy than their non-disabled counterpart. As predicted, male participants held more blaming attitudes than female participants across both conditions. Males also perceived the victim in both conditions to have more sexual need than females did. The findings are discussed with reference to gender role adherence, perceptions of vulnerability, and belief in a just world. Theoretical and practical implications are considered.

Differences in Glucose Metabolism Among Women With Spinal Cord Injury May Not Be Fully Explained by Variations in Body Composition

ObjectiveTo investigate the differences in glucose metabolism among women with paraplegic, and tetraplegic spinal cord injury (SCI) in comparison to their able-bodied (AB) counterparts after adjusting for differences in body composition. DesignCross-sectional study. After an overnight fast, each participant consumed a 75-g glucose solution for oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Blood glucose, insulin, and C-peptide concentrations were analyzed before and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after ingesting glucose solution. Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was estimated using the Matsuda index. Percentage fat mass (%FM) and total body lean mass (TBLM) were estimated using data from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Visceral fat (VF) was quantified using computed tomography. Outcome measures were compared among groups using analysis of covariance with %FM (or VF) and TBLM as covariates. SettingResearch university. ParticipantsWomen (N=42) with SCI (tetraplegia: n=8; paraplegia: n=14) and their race-, body mass index-, and age-matched AB counterparts (n=20). InterventionsNot applicable. ResultsAt fasting, there was no difference in glucose homeostasis (glucose, insulin, C-peptide concentrations) among 3 groups of women. In contrast, glucose, insulin, and C-peptide concentrations at minute 120 during OGTT were higher in women with tetraplegia versus women with paraplegia and AB women (P<.05, adjusted for TBLM and %FM). In addition, women with tetraplegia had lower ISI (P<.05, adjusted for TBLM and %FM) versus AB women. These differences remained after adjusting for VF and TBLM. ConclusionOur study confirms that impaired glucose metabolism among women with tetraplegia may not be fully explained by changes in their body composition. Future studies exploring additional factors involved in glucose metabolism are warranted.

Meagre effects of disuse on the human fibula are not explained by bone size or geometry.

The fibula supports only a small and highly variable proportion of shank compressive load (-8 to +19%), and little is known about other kinds of stresses. Hence, whilst effects of habitual loading on tibia are well-known, fibula response to disuse is difficult to predict. Therefore, we assessed fibular bone strength using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) at 5% increments from 5 to 90% distal-proximal tibia length in nine participants with long-term spinal cord injury (SCI; age 39.2±6.2years, time since injury 17.8±7.4years), representing a cross-sectional model of long-term disuse and in nine able-bodied counterparts of similar age (39.6±7.8years), height and mass. There was no group difference in diaphyseal fibula total bone mineral content (BMC) (P=0.22, 95% CIs -7.4 % to -13.4 % and +10.9 % to +19.2 %). Site by group interactions (P<0.001) revealed 27 and 22% lower BMC in SCI at 5 and 90% (epiphyseal) sites only. Cortical bone geometry differed at mid and distal diaphysis, with lower endocortical circumference and greater cortical thickness in SCI than able-bodied participants in this region only (interactions both P<0.01). Tibia bone strength was also assessed; bone by group interactions showed smaller group differences in fibula than tibia for all bone parameters, with opposing effects on distal diaphysis geometry in the two bones (all Ps<0.001). These results suggest that the structure of the fibula diaphysis is not heavily influenced by compressive loading, and only mid and distal diaphysis are influenced by bending and/or torsional loads. The fibula is less influenced by disuse than the tibia, which cannot satisfactorily be explained by differences in bone geometry or relative changes in habitual loading in disuse. Biomechanical study of the shank loading environment may give new information pertaining to factors influencing bone mechanoadaptation.