The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outdoor Physical Activities for People with Disabilities, including the Risks for Psychophysical Well-Being

Farì, Giacomo; Fiore, Pietro; Ricci, Vincenzo; Zonno, Alessandra; Joksimović, Marko; Petruzzella, Domenico; Gioia, Giulia; Giarrizzo, Denise; Mastrorillo, Savino; Coretti, Brunella; Bianchi, Francesco Paolo; Agostini, Francesco; Muscella, Antonella; Ranieri, Maurizio; Megna, Marisa

doi:10.3390/su15021436

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Wheelchair basketball (WB) is an increasingly popular sport. Over the last decade, Paralympic sports, particularly WB, have steadily gained interest [1,2]. Born in the USA at the end of the 40s as a rehabilitation activity for veterans of the Second World War [3], WB today represents an excellent opportunity for physical activity, rehabilitation, and integration for people with disabilities [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Wheelchair Basketball a Symmetric or Asymmetric Sport?

Farì,

Chiaia Noya,

Dell'Anna

et al. 2024

OBM Neurobiol

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Wheelchair basketball (WB) is a health and inclusion opportunity for people with disabilities. In the scientific literature, no evidence defines WB as a symmetrical or asymmetrical sport; however, it would be helpful to deepen this aspect because it could improve the quality of training programs and consequently speed up WB performance. In WB, the biomechanical role of the shoulders is crucial. Therefore, the symmetry index and the activation of the bilateral supraspinatus and biceps brachii muscles were investigated to establish, with specific WB tests, whether it is a symmetrical or asymmetrical sport. Ten professional athletes were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Each athlete was assessed by executing three tests on the field: sprint test, figure 8 test with the ball, and test without the ball. The symmetry index and muscle recruitment of the right and left supraspinatus and biceps brachii muscles were evaluated with a surface electromyograph. In all three tests, there was a positive correlation between muscle activations of the right and left supraspinatus muscles (sprint test: p-value 0.004; figure 8 without the ball: p-value 0.016; figure 8 with ball: p-value 0.009), while no correlation emerged between the muscle activities of the two brachial biceps (sprint test: p-value 0.155; figure 8 without ball: p-value 0.291, figure 8 with ball: p-value 0.9). There was a negative correlation between right biceps brachii muscle recruitment and performance in the figure 8 test without the ball and between right and left supraspinatus muscle recruitment and performance in the figure 8 test with the ball. Finally, no correlation was found between the symmetry index of the supraspinatus and brachial biceps muscles and the performance in the three tests. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant for all tests. A higher and more symmetrical shoulder muscle recruitment does not lead to a better performance. WB could be regarded as an asymmetrical sport, particularly in sport-specific gestures, where technical skills are more important than muscle strength. Therefore, training should not aim to implement strength and symmetry but to improve the refinement and technical peculiarity of the athletic gesture.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Wheelchair Basketball a Symmetric or Asymmetric Sport?

Farì,

Chiaia Noya,

Dell'Anna

et al. 2024

OBM Neurobiol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The individual serves as the primary nexus in the chain of a sustainable economy, society, and environment [5]. Research indicates key principles for sustainable physical activity, including setting realistic expectations, being cognizant of desired physical, mental, and emotional states, establishing attainable goals, objectively monitoring progress, revising the plan if goals are not met, and integrating exercise as an integral part of lifestyle rather than as a mere ancillary need [6][7][8][9]. Bandura (1977) introduced the concept of self-efficacy as part of 'cognitive behavioral modification' [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Sustainable Exercise and the Number of Pregnancies on Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Assertiveness Levels in Pregnant Women

et al. 2023

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This study examined the variations in self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness levels among pregnant women engaging in sustainable exercise compared to those performing no physical activity. The study also explored the connection between these changes and the number of pregnancies. The sample included 220 pregnant women engaging in sustainable exercise and 210 pregnant women performing no physical activity. Sustainable exercisers were chosen from those engaged in physical activity for at least 30 min, twice a week. The participants were in the fourth to seventh month of their pregnancy. A simple random sampling technique was used to choose participants and a total of 430 pregnant women volunteered to participate in the study. The mean age of the participants was 31.45 ± 12.11 years. Data collection tools were the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI), and the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS). In data analysis, the impact of independent variables on self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness was evaluated by one-way ANOVA in groups of more than two, t-test in paired groups, the relationship between some independent variables and scales was evaluated by correlation, and descriptive features were shown as percentages. In cases where variance analyses were significant at 0.05 (p < 0.05), Tukey’s test was used as a post hoc test. The study’s results indicated a significant disparity between the mean self-efficacy and self-esteem scores of women engaged in sustainable exercise compared to those who were not. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of assertiveness levels. The mean scores of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness differed significantly in respect to the number of pregnancies in exercising women. However, there were no significant differences in mean scores of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness scores in terms of the number of pregnancies in women who did not exercise.

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“…Despite these historic steps forward in political and cultural terms, the way to guarantee access to sports for people with disabilities is still very long, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic has shown that many of the limitations make this road tortuous. Access to sports facilities and availability of competent personnel are still limited for people with physical, sensory and cognitive impairments, and the economic resources dedicated to this purposes are not sufficient in normal conditions and even more so in emergency ones [5].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outdoor Physical Activities for People with Disabilities, including the Risks for Psychophysical Well-Being

Cited by 7 publications

References 64 publications

Is Wheelchair Basketball a Symmetric or Asymmetric Sport?

Is Wheelchair Basketball a Symmetric or Asymmetric Sport?

The Impact of Sustainable Exercise and the Number of Pregnancies on Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Assertiveness Levels in Pregnant Women

Sports for people with disabilities: A way for rehabilitation and social inclusion

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