Standing Long Jump Performance in Youth with Visual Impairments: A Multidimensional Examination

Abstract

Muscular fitness, an important marker of health in youth, includes explosive strength, which can be assessed using the standing long jump (SLJ). Little is known concerning the SLJ in populations with disabilities such as youth with visual impairments (VI) who trend with decreased health- and performance-related outcomes. The purposes of this study were to investigate multidimensional SLJ performance outcomes in youth with VI (i.e., descriptives and percentages of occurrence) and to explore associations among such variables and known factors of interest (e.g., age) using robust linear bivariate regressions. This study was a secondary analysis from data collected in 2018 (N = 61, Mage = 12.98 years, SD = 2.21). SLJ performance was investigated using a multidimensional focus (e.g., distance, Test of Gross Motor Development-3 horizontal jump, landing developmental sequences, landing joint displacement, and stabilization after landing). In general, SLJ performance was substandard in youth with VI. Most SLJ assessment scores were predictive of other SLJ assessment scores. Few hypothesized variables of interest (e.g., multimorbidity) were predictive of SLJ performance. Youth with VI who match the characteristics of the current sample may have decreased explosive strength/muscular fitness and, worryingly, their SLJ performance may not be influenced by expected factors (e.g., age). Implications and explanations for these results are discussed.