Sports activities and satisfaction of living of menin wheelchair rugby players after cervical spinal cord injury (SCI)

Abstract

Introduction: Life satisfaction is a notion often combined with mental wellbeing, happiness, and contentment. This type of satisfaction directly influences the quality of life. It is believed that physical activity not only increases a functional efficiency level of people with high spinal cord trauma, but also affects their life satisfaction. The aim of the study was to assess life satisfaction of men with the spinal cord injury in the cervical, wheelchair rugby players (WR) against a control group. Material and methods:The study was conducted among 36 men after spinal cord injury in the cervical (SCI-C) -25 active athletes of Polish Wheelchair Rugby League ranked as "high score" players and "low score" players and 12 men's named "inactive", who after the injury do not undertake any physical activity. The research tool was a questionnaire of life satisfaction LiSat-9 evaluator life as a whole and some of its components, Results: Statistical analysis showed significant differences between selected components of life satisfaction and temporal variables, ie. age of participants, time since injury, age at injury. Significantly higher average life satisfaction component was identified among "high score" players (4.7) compare to the value of the average of result among "low score" players (3.9) and among inactive in sports (4,0). Conclusions:The level of the life satisfaction wheelchair rugby players is varied due to their age, time since injury and age at injury. Successes in sport significantly affect the level of their life satisfaction.