Adaptive sports in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine across Europe: the forgotten therapeutic ally.

Abstract

Background: Physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) units promote health and autonomy. One way to achieve this is through physical activity (PA), yet research shows that individuals with physical impairments are not physically active. One way to motivate them is through adaptive sports (also named para sports), as this allows for a more enjoyable experience. Yet, it is unknown whether such activities are offered in PRM across Europe. The Special Interest Scientific Committees "Sports Affairs" of the European Society of PRM set out to fill this gap of knowledge.

Aim: To explore the use of adaptive sports within PRM units in European countries, to collect information on these practices, and to identify any barriers limiting the development of this offer. To investigate how PRM health care professionals view and promote adaptive sports to their patients.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: European PRM units.

Population: PRM health care professionals.

Methods: An online questionnaire was developed and disseminated across Europe. Healthcare professionals working in PRM were invited to respond anonymously. Their views on adaptive sports, as well as the actions they undertook to promote it, were scored, and statistical analyses were performed on these scores.

Results: A total of 190 health care professionals, from 31 different European countries, participated. Only 8 of the 31 countries seem to have adopted adaptive sports as a tool in PRM. The main barrier which limited the development of this across Europe was lack of infrastructure. Yet, the majority of health care professionals acknowledge that their patients would largely benefit from such activities.

Conclusions: The offer of adaptive sports in European PRM is poor. Such activities are not systematically presented to patients with physical impairments. There is a need to improve the situation through structural and legislative changes on one end, but also by providing PRM professionals with adequate tools, resources and networks.

Clinical rehabilitation impact: By identifying barriers which limit the use of adaptive sports as a therapeutic tool, this study suggests several strategies to develop this in the European field of PRM, as it may be a way to enhance its effectiveness.