Remaining active. Persistent participation in physical activity among adolescents with disabilities. An interview study

Abstract

Objective: To explore which factors contribute to persistent physical activity for youth with physical disability. Method: Twenty-four adolescents (13 males), aged 15-25 years with disability and with various experiences of physical activity, participated in five focus group interviews. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings: Youth with disability point out similar factors for persistent participation in physical activity as peers without disability, such as social support, intrinsic motivation and feeling of mastery. They were searching for “the feeling of flow”. However, the participants with disability had challenges with feeling different and finding appropriate arenas for learning new skills. Conclusion: Social support, intrinsic motivation and mastery were factors that contribute to persistent physical activity for youth with disability. Because of individual differences, it is important that physiotherapists individualize the interventions in order to explore and strengthen the skills that adolescents with disability possess.

Keywords

• physical activity
• youth
• disability