Adaptive Sport as Complementary and Holistic Health Intervention: Outcomes for Participants to Improve Resiliency, Promote Health, and Live in Recovery

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Adaptive sports engagement has been strongly studied for physical and social gains for athletes with disabilities, with much less investigation into adaptive sports encompassing holistic health (i.e., reaching domains of physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore adaptive sport participants’ perspectives on their engagement in sport as a complementary and holistic intervention to improve resiliency, promote health, and live in recovery. Methods: This study employed a qualitative, phenomenological, and participatory action research design to explore how individuals with disabilities perceive their engagement in adaptive sports. Data were collected from eligible participants across the United States, aged 12 years and older, who provided open-ended responses via survey detailing their adaptive sport experiences. Results: Adaptive sport participants (n = 47), primarily male (n = 26), and White (n = 37) with a range of ages 12–75, provided qualitative findings that formed three deductive themes with further inductive subthemes: (1) Improving Resiliency highlighting promotive and protective factors supporting resilience development, (2) Promoting Health defined by World Health Organization’s holistic health definition, and (3) Living in Recovery framed by the Health Protection/Health Promotion Model. Conclusions: For this sample of adaptive sport participants across the United States, engagement in adaptive sports is seen as a complementary and holistic health intervention that achieves outcomes beyond just physical and social. Key aspects of adaptive sports were shown to be vital for building resiliency through the disability community environment, improving holistic health, and providing a recovery mindset through new life opportunities.Health and Human Performanc