Adapted physical activity quarterly : APAQ最新文献

This pilot study analyzed the therapeutic use of climbing, based on the cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance approach, with a small group of children presenting developmental coordination disorder, to propose a first logic model of this novel intervention program. A multiple-case study with mixed methods was conducted. Participants included eight children with developmental coordination disorder, age 8-12, and their parents. Before and after the intervention, measures comprised semistructured interviews and validated questionnaires. Intra- and intercase analyses, as well as a Wilcoxon signed-ranked test, were conducted. Clinically and statistically significant effects were found on performance and satisfaction regarding intervention goals. Participants reported benefits in children, notably on motivation, social skills, friendships, self-efficacy, pride, self-regulation, and use of strategies. The proposed logic model may guide improvement, implementation, and reassessment of this novel intervention program.

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of an 8-week neuromuscular warm-up program on dynamic balance, reaction time (RT), and knee joint proprioception in 24 elite Iranian Para-taekwondo athletes (K44 class). Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 12), performing the martial arts striking sports (MASS-12) protocol (three sessions/week, 20 min/session), or a control group (n = 12), following routine warm-ups. Outcome measures included dynamic balance (Biodex Balance System), knee proprioception at 30° and 70° (joint position reproduction), and visual RT. A 2 × 2 mixed repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant Group × Time interactions for dynamic balance (p = .001, η2 = .19, d = 1.06) and RT (p = .03, η2 = .22, d = 0.94). The intervention group showed significant within-group improvements in dynamic balance (p = .001), RT (p = .02), and proprioception at 30° (p = .01, d = 1.20) and 70° (p = .04, d = 1.30), with no significant changes in the control group. Between-group differences at posttest were significant for dynamic balance (p = .04) and RT (p = .03). These findings suggest that the MASS-12 neuromuscular warm-up enhances key functional indicators, potentially reducing injury risk in Para-taekwondo athletes. Implications for adapted physical activity practitioners include integrating this low-cost, feasible protocol into training regimens to optimize performance and safety.

Despite the established benefits of physical activity, adults with disabilities experience significant disparities in participation. Exercise professionals are uniquely positioned to play a role in bridging this gap, making an understanding of their experiences critical. This qualitative study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators for Qualified Exercise Professionals in Italy when delivering programs for adults with disabilities. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 experienced Qualified Exercise Professionals and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings revealed three interconnected challenges: systemic constraints, including prohibitive costs and inaccessible facilities; a profound gap between theoretical education and practical demands, fuelling a fear of causing harm; and the unrecognized emotional labor of client advocacy. The therapeutic alliance emerged as the single most important facilitator. These results underscore an urgent need for educational reform, incorporating mandatory practical placements to build professional confidence, and for policy changes to dismantle the structural barriers that inhibit participation.

For children with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), meaningful inclusion in recreational sport can lead to many physical and psychosocial benefits. Investigators have begun to explore how recreational sport programs should be designed, implemented, and evaluated to promote these valued outcomes. Despite advancements in adapted sport research, sport program leaders are not always equipped with the strategies and tools to meet the participation needs and priorities of children with IDD. Our team partnered with management at Special Olympics Canada to encourage evidence-based sport program leadership and programming across Canada for young athletes with IDD. We employed a multiphased integrated knowledge translation approach to mobilize quality participation evidence through practical tools for sport program leaders. By elucidating our process, we aim to inspire future initiatives geared toward translating knowledge into action in the adapted sport context for young athletes with IDD across Canada and beyond.

Evidence-based Paralympic classification must limit impairment-related advantages. World Shooting Para Sport classification, based on manual muscle testing, has never been empirically validated. We assessed structural validity using unsupervised machine learning on retrospective data from 176 Para Trap athletes spanning 2017-2025. Z-standardized composites captured upper limb, lower limb and trunk strength, plus trunk stability. K-means clustering, with k selected via elbow and silhouette methods, was compared with official classes using accuracy and information-based metrics. The best four-cluster solution achieved accuracy above 80% and moderate agreement, matching SG-U (Shotgun Upper) and SG-L (Shotgun Lower), but dividing SG-S (Shotgun Sitting) into two distinct groups exposing within-class heterogeneity. Upper limb strength was the main discriminator, followed by trunk stability and lower limb strength. Overall, data-driven clusters largely support existing structure while revealing overlap between SG-L and SG-U and heterogeneity within SG-S, suggesting that multivariate measures contribute to evidence supporting refinement of eligibility thresholds and enhance equity, aligning revisions with The International Paralympic Committee standards.

Unified Sports within Special Olympics aims to promote inclusion, where athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities train and compete together with partners who do not have a disability. However, little is known about the health-related physical fitness (HrPF) of these athletes and partners. The primary objective of this study was to describe the HrPF of participants in the 2022 Unified Cup. Measures of HrPF were collected during Healthy Athletes Screenings from 201 soccer players, including 106 athletes and 95 partners. Notable differences were observed between athletes and partners in calf flexibility, timed sit-to-stand, and partial sit-up measures of HrPF (p < .001). In addition, hamstring flexibility and seated push-up showed notable differences between genders (p < .001). This study adds to the literature by utilizing the Healthy Athletes Screenings database. Results should be considered by coaches and programmers when working with Unified athletes in competitive settings.

The purpose of this study was to explore the learning and mentoring experiences of Canadian Special Olympics coaches. Data were collected using semistructured individual interviews with eight Special Olympics coaches of varying levels of experience, sport type, and geographic locations across Canada. Using a reflexive thematic analysis, we found that coaches used a variety of formal, nonformal, and informal learning opportunities to develop and refine their coaching practices and particularly desired an opportunity to learn experientially and in a practical, hands-on manner. All coaches had experience with mentorship, either provided or received, and felt that opportunities for formal mentorship, such as exposure to national and international Games, would allow coaches to acquire the confidence, motivation, and knowledge needed to provide high-quality coaching to their athletes. Recommendations are identified to refine and improve the quality of coach education available to Special Olympics coaches, not only within Canada, but around the world.

The aim was to analyze the impact of recent Para Judo rule modifications on the temporal structure of combat in elite male judo athletes with visual impairment, considering new sport classes (J1, J2) and weight categories. An observational study analyzed 205 matches from the 2022 International Blind Sports Federation Judo World Championships using the Observed Temporal System for Judo Combat v.2 instrument. Significant differences emerged between sport classes: J1 combats were less fragmented, with longer pauses, groundwork, displacement, and gripping times poststoppage. J2 combats were more fragmented, involving shorter, dynamic sequences. Heavier Para Judo athletes (-90 kg, +90 kg) showed longer standing sequences, pauses, and gripping durations, indicating deliberate recovery strategies. Across all weights, J1 Para Judo athletes experienced longer pauses, reflecting greater temporal demands from total blindness. Results validate the competitive separation of J1 and J2 and emphasize tailored training strategies according to sport class and weight category. Specific temporal structure models support individualized Para Judo training planning.