Advances in Rehabilitation
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eISSN: 1734-4948
ISSN: 0860-6161
Advances in Rehabilitation
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3/2025
vol. 39
 
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abstract:
Original paper

The impact of a sports initiation program on quality of life, satisfaction, and self-efficacy in activities of daily living in individuals with spinal cord injury

Giulia Bevilacqua
1
,
Simone Tiberti
2
,
Claudio Pilati
2
,
Ilaria Calabrese
2
,
Annamaria Tamburro
2
,
Annamaria Servadio
2
,
Rachele Simeon
3, 4
,
Giovanni Galeoto
3, 5
,
Anna Berardi
3, 5

  1. Sapienza University of Rome - School of Occupational Therapists, Italy
  2. Spinal Unit, C.T.O. Andrea Alesini di Roma, Rome, Italy
  3. Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
  4. Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
  5. IRCSS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
Adv Rehab. 2025; 39(3): 53-66.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/areh.2025.153476
Online publish date: 2025/08/08
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Introduction
The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a structured sports initiation program for individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) on quality of life, satisfaction, and self-efficacy in activities of daily living, based on a quasi-experimental pre-post test format.

Material and methods
The program was developed in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. The participants were allowed to try six different Paralympic sports (Para archery, Para athletics, Boccia, wheelchair tennis, Para swimming, and wheelchair fencing) over a 14-week period. The following outcome measures were tested at T0 (baseline) and T1 (14 weeks after): the Trunk Control Test (TCT), Spinal Cord Independence Measure III Self Report (SCIM), Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), Moorong Self Efficacy Scale and the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual users (WheelCon-M). The data was analysed using Wilcoxon’s rank test.

Results
Of the included participants, 66.8% demonstrated lesion D3 and D9, while 46.7% had complete SCI. Significant improvements were observed for measures of functional independence, quality of life, self-efficacy and wheelchair use confidence, but not trunk control.

Conclusions
The functional sports initiation program achieved encouraging results for people with SCI; it promoted not only functional improvements, particularly in the management of assistive devices, but also improvements in perceived independence, health-related quality of life, self-efficacy in daily activities, and wheelchair use confidence. The program enables participants to engage in challenging and motivating activities that simultaneously foster participation, social integration, well-being and enjoyment.

keywords:

Boccia, para archery, para swimming, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair tennis










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