A special issue in the the FEPSAC official journal – psychology of sport and exercise, edited by Kathleen Ginis and Brett Smith.

Details (citation and abstract) of the articles follows

M. Blair Evans, Celina H. Shirazipour, Veronica Allan, Mona Zanhour, Shane N. Sweet, Kathleen A. Martin Ginis, Amy E. Latimer-Cheung,

Integrating insights from the parasport community to understand optimal Experiences: The Quality Parasport Participation Framework,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 79-90,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.04.009.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217306908)
Abstract: Objectives
Through parasport, adults and young athletes with disability often report increases in well-being and related psychosocial perceptions. While researchers often attribute these benefits to the positive social experiences that go along with sport participation, optimal parasport experiences have not been comprehensively defined. Applying a conceptualization of the experiential aspects of ‘participation’ across disability settings (Martin Ginis, Evans, Mortenson, & Noreau, 2017) we sought to generate an evidence-informed framework of optimal parasport participation.
Design/Method
The framework was developed through a multi-step process that involved establishing the scope and purpose of the framework, synthesizing existing literature, and constructing the framework alongside stakeholder insights. The latter step entailed four phases based on AGREE-II reporting criteria: (a) Phase 1, where propositions about quality experiences were derived from the literature synthesis, (b) Phases 2 and 3, where we developed a provisional framework informed by stakeholders using an expert round-table (n = 16) and an online survey (n = 80), and (c) Phase 4, where the framework was refined through an online expert panel including researchers and sport administrators (n = 20).
Results
The resulting hierarchical framework focuses on 25 conditions across the physical environment, sport activities, and social environment of parasport organizations as precursors to quality experiences that, in turn, reinforce quality participation. Quality experience stands at the core, defined as a feeling state derived from athletes’ appraisals of whether their experiences satisfy one or more of their values and needs across six elements: belongingness, autonomy, challenge, mastery, engagement and meaning.
Conclusions
The ‘Quality Parasport Participation Framework’ directs future research examining parasport athletes’ subjective experiences, and sets forth provisional guidelines for promoting quality experiences within parasport.
Keywords: Disability sport; Parasport; Optimal experience; Positive psychology; Participation

Kathleen A. Martin Ginis, Brett Smith

Introduction to the Special Section of Psychology of Sport and Exercise ‘Innovations in Disability Sport and Exercise Psychology Research’

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 155-156,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.05.015.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029218303236)

Kai J. Krabben, John van der Kamp, David L. Mann,

Fight without sight: The contribution of vision to judo performance,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 157-163,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.08.004.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217302716)
Abstract: Objective
Although vision is typically considered the predominant sense for guiding performance, there are sports for which other senses are believed to be as important, if not more important than vision. Accordingly, in Paralympic judo, athletes with different degrees of vision impairment (VI) compete together based on the assumption that vision does not influence judo performance, as long as judokas start the match with their grip in place. The aim of this research was to test this assumption.
Method
We conducted two studies. In the first we analysed data from two major recent VI judo competitions to compare the relative performance of blind and partially sighted athletes when competing against each other. In the second study, twenty-four able-sighted players competed in practice matches in sighted and blindfolded conditions.
Results
In Study 1, we demonstrated that blind judokas win far less medals in VI judo competitions than their partially sighted opponents. In study 2, a significant performance advantage was found for sighted judokas fighting against blindfolded opponents.
Conclusions
Vision enhances judo performance, even when judokas start the match with their grip in place. These findings suggest that it would be desirable to take measures to make VI judo competition fairer to those who are most severely impaired.
Keywords: Vision impairment; Sports; Multisensory perception; Judo; Blind; Classification

Chunxiao Li, Andreas Ivarsson, Andreas Stenling, Yandan Wu,

The dynamic interplay between burnout and sleep among elite blind soccer players,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 164-169,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.08.008.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217303539)
Abstract: The dynamic pattern between burnout and sleep among athletes is unknown. This longitudinal survey examined the interplay between burnout and sleep among blind elite soccer players. China national blind soccer team players (n = 10) completed measures on burnout and sleep quality through interview at baseline (month 1), and followed at months 2, 3, 4, and 5. The results of dynamic p-technique analysis, using Bayesian estimation, showed a credible relationship between burnout and sleep quality. Also, burnout had a credible lagged effect on subsequent sleep quality whereas sleep quality did not have a credible lagged effect on burnout. The results suggest that burnout and sleep are not reciprocally related and burnout may be a risk factor of sleep problems among athletes.
Keywords: Bayesian estimation; Disability sport; p-technique analysis; Sleep quality

Veronica Allan, Brett Smith, Jean Côté, Kathleen A. Martin Ginis, Amy E. Latimer-Cheung,

Narratives of participation among individuals with physical disabilities: A life-course analysis of athletes’ experiences and development in parasport,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 170-178,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.10.004.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217303485)
Abstract: Objectives
Efforts to promote full participation in parasport are vital not only for the potential physical and psychosocial benefits, but also as a means of enacting social justice. Until recently, there has been little empirical consideration of the experiential aspects that make participation satisfying or meaningful throughout the life-course. The purpose of this study was to explore the meanings that athletes with physical disabilities attribute to their participation in parasport over time.
Method
Two-part life history interviews were conducted with 21 current or former athletes with a physical disability. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to a dialogical narrative analysis, which enabled an in-depth examination of the common stories told by athletes and the effects of these stories on their past, present, and future participation.
Results
Five distinct narrative types were identified, representing differential developmental trajectories and meanings of participation in parasport. Athletes drew on existing narratives of disability (i.e., restitution, quest) and sport involvement (i.e., performance, discovery, relational) to frame these narrative types. The core of each narrative type was formed by the specific meaning or value associated with parasport participation (e.g., sense of purpose, social acceptance).
Conclusion
The resulting narratives offer a unique understanding of the developmental pathways of parasport athletes and what it means for these athletes to participate. The narratives are useful for informing strategies and programmes that optimize participation and enhance participation rates.
Keywords: Development; Disability; Narrative; Parasport; Participation

Thomas Irish, Francesca Cavallerio, Katrina McDonald,

“Sport saved my life” but “I am tired of being an alien!”: Stories from the life of a deaf athlete,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 179-187,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.10.007.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217304600)
Abstract: Objectives
This study explores the ways in which a deaf athlete’s experiences of participation in sport can affect his psychological and social well-being, and how social and interpersonal relationships play a role in shaping these experiences.
Design
To produce an understanding of the embodied experience of being a deaf athlete over the years and in different social situations, an autoethnographic approach was adopted.
Method
To generate the stories represented in this study, three main strategies have been adopted: memory writing, emotional recall, and the use of memory. Adopting the position of the storyteller, data was represented through an evocative autoethnography, with the aim to describe subjective emotional experiences to create empathy with, as well as increase awareness and encourage reflection in the reader.
Results
Five story fragments taken from a deaf athlete’s life are presented, in relation to key moments of the athlete’s life. The stories show how social relationships affect the athlete’s experience of sport participation, spanning from an enthusiastic inclusion in playing sport with hearing and non-hearing peers, to the feelings of alienation felt due to social exclusion from hearing sport events, and the hopelessness deriving from a lack of understanding of the specific needs that come from coaching a deaf person.
Conclusions
The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed, with particular attention towards the opportunity of portraying the experiences of a category of athletes that has been scarcely investigated, and even more rarely allowed its own voice.
Keywords: Creative analytical practices; Autoethnography; Deafness; Disability; Well-being; Social relational model

Luke A. MacDonald, Florin Oprescu, Bridie M. Kean,

An evaluation of the effects of mindfulness training from the perspectives of wheelchair basketball players,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 188-195,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.11.013.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217305137)
Abstract: Objectives
Previous research has highlighted that mindfulness training (MT) is associated with an attenuation in physiological stress in wheelchair basketball players during competition. However, players’ perceptions of how MT affected their sporting and everyday life were yet to be determined. Therefore, the present study evaluated the perceived impact of an 8-wk MT intervention on wheelchair basketball players by gathering and analysing the perspectives of the participants in the study.
Design
Experimental qualitative design.
Methods
Eight wheelchair basketball players completed an 8-wk MT intervention (meditations and mindfulness exercises; five times each week) during a competition period. Participants completed an evaluation survey which explored the impact of the MT intervention.
Results
8 wk of MT was beneficial in various aspects of the participants’’ everyday lives, games and training in the form of improved concentration, improved sleep, better stress management, awareness, as well as improved foul shooting accuracy and regulation of heart rate.
Conclusions
MT may be efficacious in improving both athletic performance and everyday life in para-athletes.

Andrea Leigh Faull, Eleri Sian Jones,

Development and validation of the Wheelchair Imagery Ability Questionnaire (WIAQ) for use in wheelchair sports,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 196-204,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.11.015.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217304570)
Abstract: Objectives
Appropriate tools to measure psychological skills in wheelchair athletes seldom exist within the sport psychology literature. Given the benefits of imagery on performance, and the lack of an appropriate wheelchair specific measure, the aim of this multi-study research programme was to develop a new psychometric tool to measure the vividness of movement imagery in wheelchair athletes. We used the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire–2 (VMIQ-2; Roberts, Callow, Hardy, Markland & Bringer, 2008) as a conceptual framework for item creation and subsequent development of a new tool known as the Wheelchair Imagery Ability Questionnaire (WIAQ).
Method
Study 1 focused on item creation for the WIAQ for the scale with a purposeful sample of wheelchair athletes using focus groups. Study 2 tested the factor structure of the WIAQ using a Bayesian Structural Equation Modelling (BSEM) approach. Study 3 provided concurrent validity of the WIAQ.
Results
Study 1 resulted in the development of the initial 24 item WIAQ. Study 2 refined the scale through the use of BSEM to a 15 item measure. Study 3 provided support for the WIAQ evidence for the concurrent validity of the measure.
Conclusion
The WIAQ is the first known measure specifically created to measure imagery ability in wheelchair athletes and has scope to be used in a broader rehabilitation context for individuals and practitioners making use of imagery as a tool to support various physical recovery strategies.
Keywords: Imagery; Vividness; Disability sport; Scale development; Applied sport psychology; Rehabilitation

Eva Annika Jaarsma, Brett Smith,

Promoting physical activity for disabled people who are ready to become physically active: A systematic review,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 205-223,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.08.010.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217302790)
Abstract: Objective
To provide an overview of which psychosocial factors are related to physical activity participation for disabled people who intend to be active, to determine which interventions effectively improved physical activity and to identify how participants were described as intenders.
Design
A systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines.
Method
Six databases were searched using MesH terms and free texts. Inclusion criteria were studies focusing on disabled people, physical activity and intention. Exclusion criteria were studies not including disabled people, focusing on children or on biomechanical or neurological aspects of physical activity. Included studies were appraised using the quality tool by Sirriyeh et al, 2012 and were coded using the behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy by Michie et al. (2011). BCTs were considered effective if they were present in at least 50% of the effective studies included in this review and only present in one of the non-effective studies, as described in Hynynen et al. (2016).
Results
Twenty studies were included in this review. Self-efficacy, intention and weighing pros and cons were positively associated with physical activity, whereas experiencing barriers and severity of the impairment were negatively associated. Intervention studies reported BCTs such as self-monitoring of behaviour, barrier identification/problem solving and action planning as effective elements of interventions.
Conclusions
Future research should consider including the above mentioned techniques as well as additional BCTs to provide better insight in effective elements promoting physical activity of disabled intenders. We close with a series of recommendations for future research.
Keywords: Systematic review; Disabled people; Physical activity; Health action process approach

Toni Louise Williams,

Exploring narratives of physical activity and disability over time: A novel integrated qualitative methods approach,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 224-234,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.09.004.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217305162)
Abstract: Objectives
The fusion of multiple qualitative methods has the potential to provide a more multidimensional and nuanced understanding of sport and exercise participation for disabled populations. The purpose of this innovative methods paper was to illustrate the use of a longitudinal integrated methods approach to explore the storied experiences of activity-based rehabilitation (ABR) for people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Methods
A novel combination of interviews, timelining and participant observation was used with participants with SCI, and their trainers, at an ABR center in the UK. These pluralistic data sets were subject to a dialogical narrative analysis to identify: 1) the types of narratives that people drew upon to construct their stories of ABR and 2) the relationships between health, well-being and hope over time.
Results
Two participants’ stories were used to demonstrate how multiple data sets can help illuminate complementary and contrasting understandings of ABR. Critical reflections were also offered to highlight the rigorous and reflexive process of integration throughout the research process.
Conclusions
The integration of multiple methods was successful in providing new and enriched insights of ABR that may not have been achieved through one method alone. Epistemological and theoretically informed multiple methods studies may have promise for similar psychological research projects exploring the complexity of sport and exercise experiences for disabled people. To conclude, recommendations and future directions for the use of integrated methods within sport and exercise psychology research are offered.
Keywords: Multiple methods; Interviews; Timelining; Participant observation; Activity based rehabilitation; Spinal cord injury

Javier Monforte, Víctor Pérez-Samaniego, José Devís-Devís,

The Anabasis of Patrick: Travelling an allegorical narrative map of illness and disability,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 235-243,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.10.005.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217304429)
Abstract: Objectives
This paper examines the stories of Patrick, a man living with cancer and a spinal cord injury.
Design
An intrinsic case study was used to address Patrick’s experiences. The design of the study is underpinned by narrative dialogism.
Method
Photo-elicitation interviews were conducted. Visual and verbal data were analysed using a dialogical narrative analysis.
Results
Patrick aligned his experiences with a story titled Anabasis to organize and express them. Although Anabasis is not a story about illness, it provides Patrick with an allegorical narrative map of how to live with disability and survive illness. Within ‘The Anabasis of Patrick’, the analysis identified three stages: walking back again, ‘skipping stages of Anabasis’ and surviving cancer. Throughout the course of his illness, Anabasis shapes how Patrick thinks and feels about his body and exercise, affecting his health behavior. A selection of images provided and discussed by Patrick illustrates the process of re-construction of his narrative self, and evokes the effects that Anabasis has on and for him.
Conclusions
The study illuminates the key role narrative and storytelling hold regarding the (non)participation in exercise by people living with serious health problems. It also shows how visual metaphors represent embodied experiences in an effective, aesthetic and accessible manner, enhancing the knowledge dissemination process. To conclude, practical implications for exercise psychology and generalisations from the research are highlighted.
Keywords: Narrative map; Metaphors; Visual methods; Spinal cord injury; Cancer

Yao-Chuen Li, Matthew Y.W. Kwan, Heather J. Clark, John Hay, Brent E. Faught, John Cairney,

A test of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 244-250,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.11.001.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217303904)
Abstract: Objectives
This study examined several underlying mechanisms hypothesized by the Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) to explain the association between probable Developmental Coordination Disorder (pDCD) and internalizing problems.
Design/Method
A cross-sectional analysis involving 1206 children aged 12–14 years (79 pDCD, 6.6% of the sample) was conducted. Children received assessments of motor coordination, physical activity, BMI, global self-worth, and internalizing problems. Path analysis was conducted to examine overall model fit and sex differences.
Results
The results showed significant sex differences in the underlying pathways connecting pDCD to internalizing problems, indicating more mediating pathways through physical activity, BMI and global self-worth in girls, compared to boys.
Conclusions
Overall, we were able to find support for some of the pathways identified in the ESH in school-aged children. Results also suggest that the development of interventions may need to be sex specific.
Keywords: Environmental Stress Hypothesis; Developmental Coordination Disorder; Mental illness; Physical health; Psychosocial well-being; Mediation

Ross Wadey, Melissa Day,

A longitudinal examination of leisure time physical activity following amputation in England,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 251-261,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.11.005.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217304144)
Abstract: Objectives
There is a significant body of research on leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among people with physical disabilities. Yet, while this data set has been informative in identifying the social-relational factors that affect LTPA across disability groups, there is now a demand for context- and population-specific studies to provide a more nuanced understanding to better inform decision-makers and service-providers. This original study is the first to examine the barriers, facilitators, and benefits of LTPA among people with an amputation in England.
Methods
Multi-method, longitudinal research design (from April 2014 to May 2016). Participants were recruited using maximum-variation and criterion-based purposeful sampling. Data collection included two focus groups (>4hrs), fieldwork observations (>225hrs), and 44 formal interviews (>50hrs). Practical strategies used to support or evidence the study’s quality in terms of its credibility, rigour, generalizability, and significance included author self-reflexivity, member reflections from participants, and external reflections with key stakeholders before seeking publication. This large qualitative dataset was rigorously analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results
Ten themes were identified: personal wellbeing, social wellbeing, physical wellbeing, inspiration, self-presentation, experience of LTPA, knowledge of LTPA, environment, organisational functioning, and miscellaneous.
Conclusions
This article makes a novel and significant contribution to research by revealing the dynamic and relational nature of barriers, facilitators, and benefits. Practical implications for LTPA policies and practices are considered through a social ecological lens (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy).
Keywords: Qualitative; Generalizability; Rigour; Policy; Sport; Exercise

Jasmin K. Ma, Kathleen A. Martin Ginis,

A meta-analysis of physical activity interventions in people with physical disabilities: Content, characteristics, and effects on behaviour,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 262-273,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.01.006.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217304624)
Abstract: Objectives
Among samples of people with physical disabilities, the effects of physical activity (PA) interventions and the factors that influence intervention success are unknown. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to i) evaluate the overall effect of interventions on PA behaviour and ii) examine the influence of intervention characteristics, theory, and behaviour change techniques (BCTs) on PA intervention effects in persons with physical disability.
Design
Meta-analysis.
Method
Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, and AMED databases were searched for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of a PA intervention in people with physical disability. Data were extracted regarding study and intervention characteristics and use of theory. Intervention descriptions were coded using the BCT Taxonomy version 1.
Results
A total of 24 articles met the inclusion criteria. Overall, interventions had a small to medium-sized effect on PA behaviour (g = 0.35, k = 22, 95% CI [0.21, 0.48]). Interventions that used theory (g = 0.53, k = 12, 95% CI [0.38, 0.68]) had larger effects than interventions that did not, p < 0.001. Interventions that included self-monitoring of behaviour produced larger effects (g = 0.45 k = 12, 95% CI [0.28, 0.63], p = .04) and interventions with monitoring of behaviour by others without feedback produced smaller effects (g = 0.05, k = 3, 95% CI [-0.22, 0.32], p = .02) than studies without these BCTs.
Conclusion
Interventions to increase PA behaviour in people with physical disability are effective, especially when theory is used to guide their development. Research is needed to examine a wider range of BCTs and the moderating effects of intervention characteristics on PA behaviour.
Keywords: Physical disability; Physical activity; Interventions; Theory; Intervention characteristics; Behaviour change techniques

Jennifer R. Tomasone, Stephanie M. Flood, Jasmin K. Ma, Natalie V. Scime, Shauna M. Burke, Lindsay Sleeth, Stephanie Marrocco,

Physical activity self-management interventions for adults with spinal cord injury: Part 1–A systematic review of the use and effectiveness of behavior change techniques,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 274-285,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.01.012.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217304387)
Abstract: Objectives
To determine which behavior change techniques (BCTs) have been used within leisure time physical activity (LTPA) self-management interventions for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), and which BCTs were effective for improving LTPA behavior and/or its antecedents.
Design
Systematic review informed by the PRISMA guidelines.
Methods
A comprehensive literature search was conducted using five databases. Study characteristics were extracted from included articles and intervention descriptions were coded using the BCT Taxonomy V.1. Effectiveness and maintenance of BCTs as well as the level of behavior change theory use in the design of interventions were examined within experimental studies.
Results
Thirty-one unique studies were included, 16 of which had an experimental design. Across all 31 studies, a total of 222 BCTs were identified, representing 32 out of a possible 93 BCTs. The most commonly used BCTs related to the core components of self-management (i.e., education, training/rehearsal of psychological strategies, and social support). Examination of the 16 experimental studies revealed that the use of BCTs corresponding to core self-management components were related to significant improvements and maintenance of LTPA outcomes, regardless of the number of BCTs used.
Conclusions
This review offers a glimpse into the mechanisms by which self-management interventions lead to behavior change; however, more research is needed to explore and evaluate other elements (e.g., theory use, tailoring, dose, mode of delivery, and provider) that may comprise effective LTPA self-management interventions for persons with SCI.
PROSPERO registration number
CRD42016037531.

Shauna M. Burke, Jennifer R. Tomasone, Natalie V. Scime, Jasmin K. Ma, Samantha M. Harden, Dalton L. Wolfe,

Physical activity self-management interventions for adults with spinal cord injury: Part 2 – Exploring the generalizability of findings from research to practice,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 286-295,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.02.013.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217304594)
Abstract: Despite the benefits associated with regular participation in physical activity, individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) remain insufficiently active. The ability to self-manage participation may increase physical activity levels, but only if self-management interventions can be implemented in the ‘real world’. The purpose of this review was to examine the degree to which authors of published studies of LTPA self-management interventions for individuals with SCI have reported on factors that could increase the likelihood of translating this research into practice. A systematic search of five databases was conducted, yielding 33 eligible studies representing 31 interventions. Each intervention was assessed using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) Framework and the PRECIS-2 (PRagmatic-Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary) tool. The most commonly reported RE-AIM dimensions were Effectiveness (51.0% of interventions) and Reach (18.5%), followed by Implementation (14.2%), Maintenance (13.8%), and Adoption (4.0%). Overall, interventions were scored as primarily explanatory in five of the nine PRECIS-2 domains (recruitment, primary analysis, organization, flexibility [delivery], follow-up) and primarily pragmatic in one domain (setting). These findings suggest that while some LTPA self-management interventions for individuals with SCI are intended to be translated to real world settings, limited information is available to understand the degree to which this has been accomplished. Enhanced reporting of factors that could increase the likelihood of translating these interventions into practice is recommended.
Keywords: Spinal cord injury; Knowledge translation; Intervention; Leisure time physical activity; Evaluation; Systematic review; RE-AIM; PRECIS-2

A. Bundon, A. Ashfield, B. Smith, V.L. Goosey-Tolfrey,

Struggling to stay and struggling to leave: The experiences of elite para-athletes at the end of their sport careers,

Psychology of Sport and Exercise,
Volume 37,
2018,
Pages 296-305,
ISSN 1469-0292,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.04.007.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S146902921730523X)
Abstract: OBJECTIVE
To explore the retirement experiences of elite para-athletes. Athletic retirement has long been of interest to sport psychologists. With a few exceptions, little attention has been paid to the retirements of elite athletes with disabilities. The research that has been done on para-sport was conducted in the late 1990s and the context of Paralympic sport has changed in the interim. DESIGN: An online survey was distributed to retired para-athletes (n = 60) and qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sub-sample (n = 13). SAMPLE: The sample included 48 Paralympians (21 had medalled at the Paralympic Games) and 12 internationally competitive para-athletes. The group included 39 males and 21 females and was diverse in age (22–77 years of age), impairment history and impairment type (35 acquired impairments and 25 congenital impairments), and sport (24 different para-sports). METHODS: Guided by a subjective and transactional epistemological framework, data was thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Although most para-athletes leave sport for the same reasons as their able-bodied peers, certain reasons for retirement, such as declassification, are unique to para-sport. Para-athletes facing these types of retirements had particularly difficult transition experiences and could benefit from additional support. Para-athletes also reported that the increasing professionalization of para-sport, combined with uncertainty about post-sport employment opportunities for people with disabilities, made it more difficult to retire. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the experiences of retirement that are unique to para-sport will permit sport psychologists and other practitioners to provide better and more targeted support to para-athletes.
Keywords: Para-athletes; Disability; Sport; Career transition; Retirement