Athletic Identity and Sports Participation in People with Spinal Cord Injury

The aims of this study were to investigate “athletic identity” in people with spinal cord injury (SCI), using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 7-item version, and to identify reasons for and barriers to sports participation in this population. People with SCI (N = 678), even those competing as athletes, reported lower levels of athletic identity than able-bodied adults and adolescents with physical disabilities. AIMS scores varied according to gender, athlete status, and hours of sports participation per week. No relationship was found between athletic identity and depression, anxiety, or life satisfaction. Exploratory factor analysis did not support the 3-factor structure of the AIMS with this population, although internal consistency was good.

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Athletic Identity, Sport Participation, and Psychological Adjustment in People With Spinal Cord Injury

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly ◽

10.1123/apaq.28.3.233 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 233-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Tomasz Tasiemski ◽

Britton W. Brewer

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Psychological Adjustment ◽

Social Factors ◽

Sport Participation ◽

Athletic Identity ◽

Team Sport ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Anxiety Depression

This study examined interrelationships among athletic identity, sport participation, and psychological adjustment in a sample of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants (N = 1,034) completed measures of athletic identity, life satisfaction, anxiety, depression, and demographic and sport participation variables. Current amount of weekly sport participation was positively related to athletic identity when statistically controlling for age, gender, and pre-SCI amount of weekly sport participation. Being able to practice one’s favorite sport after SCI was associated with higher levels of athletic identity and better psychological adjustment. Team sport participants reported experiencing better psychological adjustment than individual sport participants did. The findings suggest that social factors are important in the link between sport participation and psychological adjustment in people with SCI.

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Pre- and Postintervention Factor Structure of Functional Independence Measure in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

Rehabilitation Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2017/6938718 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Mikhail Saltychev ◽

Janne Lähdesmäki ◽

Petteri Jokinen ◽

Katri Laimi

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Exploratory Factor Analysis ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Functional Independence Measure ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Cronbach's Alpha ◽

Cord Injury

Objective. To evaluate the factor structure of Functional Independence Measure (FIM®) scale amongst people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods. This was a retrospective, register-based cohort study on 155 rehabilitants with SCI. FIM was assessed at the beginning and at the end of multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation. The internal consistency of the FIM was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and exploratory factor analysis was employed to approximate the construct structure of FIM. Results. The internal consistency demonstrated high Cronbach’s alpha of 0.95 to 0.96. For both pre- and postintervention assessments, the exploratory factor analysis resulted in 3-factor structures. Except for two items (“walking or using a wheelchair” and “expression”), the structures of the identified three factors remained the same from the beginning to the end of rehabilitation. The loadings of all items were sufficient, exceeding 0.3. Both pre- and postintervention chi-square tests showed significant p values < 0.0001. The “motor” domain was divided into two factors with this 2-factor structure enduring through the intervention period. Conclusions. Amongst rehabilitants with SCI, FIM failed to demonstrate unidimensionality. Instead, it showed a 3-factor structure that fluctuated only little depending on the timing of measurement. Additionally, when measured separately, also motor score was 2-dimensional, not 1-dimensional. Using a total or subscale FIM, scores seem to be unjustified in the studied population.

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Resilient Coping Types in People With Spinal Cord Injury: Latent Class Analysis

Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0034355221990736 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003435522199073

Author(s):

Chungyi Chiu ◽

Jessica Brooks ◽

Alicia Jones ◽

Kortney Wilcher ◽

Sa Shen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Latent Class Analysis ◽

Latent Class ◽

Psychosocial Interventions ◽

Self Report ◽

Class Analysis ◽

Multivariate Tests ◽

Cord Injury

Resilience is central to living well with a spinal cord injury (SCI). To provide a timely, targeted, and individualized intervention supporting resilience, it is necessary to assess an individual’s resilience level and characteristics of resilience on an ongoing basis. We aimed to validate the different types of resilient coping among people with SCI (PwSCI), using the Connor–Davidson resilience scale, and to identify the relationships between resilience and other psychosocial factors among the types of resilient coping. We recruited 93 PwSCI, who took the self-report measures of resilience, depression, life satisfaction, and spirituality. Using latent class analysis, we found three types: (a) goal-pursuing, bouncing-back, and persevering, named GP; (b) uncertainty about coping with setbacks, named UC; and (c) loss of resilient coping, named LOSS. The multivariate tests indicated that the three types differed on a linear combination of resilience, depression, and life satisfaction, with a large effect size. We discussed the three types of resilient coping and the implications for psychosocial interventions. We also recommended that rehabilitation clinicians examine PwSCI’s resilience levels and types of resilience during initial and follow-up visits. In doing so, PwSCI will have timely, targeted supports for developing and/or re-building their resilience.

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The Role of Social Support, Life Meaningfulness, and Centrality of Religiosity in Posttraumatic Growth and Life Satisfaction of People with Spinal Cord Injury

Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care ◽

10.5812/jjcdc.57563 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Simin Zeqeibi Ghannad ◽

Tayebe Fateminik ◽

Sirous Allipour

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Posttraumatic Growth ◽

Cord Injury

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Obstacles and Possibilities for Participation in Sport after Spinal Cord Injury

Baltic Journal of Sport and Health Sciences ◽

10.33607/bjshs.v1i88.150 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (88) ◽

Author(s):

Kęstutis Skučas

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Sport Participation ◽

Athletic Identity ◽

Body Part ◽

Disabled Persons ◽

Upper Body ◽

Motor Disorder ◽

Social Agents ◽

Cord Injury

Research background and hypothesis. Studies have shown that persons after spinal cord injury rarely continue participating in sport (Stryker, Burke, 2000; Hanson, Nabavi, 2001; Stephan, Brewer, 2007). This could be caused by the obstacles that the persons face due to the motor disorder after spinal cord injury (Wu, Williams, 2001; Tasiemski et al., 2004). Hypothesis: persons with spinal cord injury while being involved in disabled sport face the same problems irrespectively of gender. Research aim was to determine the obstacles and possibilities for involvement and participation in sport after spinal cord injury.Research methods. The questionnaire method was used to collect sport participation data (Tasiemski et al., 2004) and determine socialization agents of persons after spinal cord injury (Williams, 1994). The athletic identity assessment scale (Brewer, Cornelius, 2002) was used in the research. Research results. Data showed that the majority of the subjects after spinal cord injury were not involved in sport; 11.9% did sports 1 hour per week, 13.2% – 2–3 hours per week, 10.6% – more than 6 hours per week. The value of athletic identity of paraplegic subjects was equal to 23 points, and that of tetraplegic subjects – 18 points (statistically significant data difference between the two groups when p < 0.05). It was found that athletic identity value of men after spinal cord injury (22 points) was statistically significantly higher compared to that of women (16 points, p < 0.05). Lack of adapted sport facilities – 49.6%, equipment – 53.2%, coaches – 48.4% and financial resources – 42.0% proved to be the major obstacles to participate in sport for persons after spinal cord injury. Discussion and conclusions. According to the research, only a minority of persons after spinal cord injury identified themselves as athletes. It was found that the main social agents involving disabled persons into the mainstream of sport were other disabled persons, rehabilitation and physical therapists, coaches and other sports professionals. Persons after spinal cord injury believed that the main reasons of non-participation in sport was lack of information about disabled sport, also lack of sports equipment, financial problems and lack of sports professionals. Most persons after spinal cord injury participated or would participate in sport with the aim of getting fit, strengthening the upper body part, socializing, feeling the joy of life. The majority of results of the study were similar to the results of other researchers (Tasiemski et al., 2004) who analyzed disabled persons’ problems while involving in sport.Keywords: involvement in disabled sport, athletic identity, social agents.

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