EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL SELF-PERCEPTION IN WHEELCHAIR ATHLETES

k. croft; S. Simmons. Corban University, Salem, OR Little research has been to done to investigate how adaptive sport participation affects the psychological well-being of wheelchair athletes. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of participation in adaptive sports on the physical self-perceptions of wheelchair athletes using the CY-PSPP instrument. METHODS: Subjects were 13 young male (n=7) and female (n=6) wheelchair athletes whose mean age was 204.769 ± 54.66 months. Two subjects exercised 30-89 min/week, 4 exercised 90-149 min/week, and 7 exercised 150+ min/week. Subjects were involved in an adaptive sports program for disabled youth and were recruited from a convenience sample. Subjects completed the CY-PSPP instrument in addition to providing basic information related to fitness and activity levels. Of the 16 subjects initially recruited, 13 provided sufficient data for analysis. Kruskal-Wallis tests were run to examine the correlation between physical self-perception and time spent exercising (min/week), and physical self-perception and number of physical activities involved in. RESULTS: A Kruskal-Wallis test comparing time spent exercising (min/week) with total CY-PSPP scores revealed no statistically significant difference in CY-PSPP scores (H(2)=.290, p= .865). Those who exercised 30-89 min/week had total CY-PSPP scores of 106.5 ± 6.364; those who exercised 91-149 min/week scored 113 ± 9.764; those who exercised 150+ min/week scored 109.00 ± 27.34. A Kruskal-Wallis test comparing number of physical activities in which the subjects participated with total CY-PSPP scores also revealed no statistically significant difference in total CY-PSPP scores (H(2)= 3.137, p= .208). However, when number of physical activities in which the subjects participated was compared to scores for Condition/Stamina Competence results neared significance (H(2)= 5.926, p= .052). Subjects involved in one activity scored 19.5 ± .7071. Subjects involved in two activities scored 20.286 ± 3.5456. Subjects involved in 3 or more activities scored 15.0 ± 2.4495