Profiling Constraints and Facilitators of Physical Activity Among Adaptive Sport Chapter Members Based on Physical Activity Levels.

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) has significant health benefits for people with disabilities (PWD). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a minimum amount of PA, yet PWD face barriers to meeting them. Guided by the leisure constraints model, previous research has identified constraints and facilitators affecting PA participation but has not considered that PWD may have different experiences based on their PA levels. This study examined the constraint and facilitator profiles of PWD across three different levels of PA participation, focusing on PWD enrolled in adaptive sport or PA programs. Multinomial regression was used to analyze 690 online survey responses distributed by Move United. The results highlighted that, among three constraint levels, intrapersonal constraints were more critical for meeting PA recommendations than interpersonal and structural constraints. This suggests heterogeneous constraint and facilitator profiles of PWD, highlighting tailored services to accommodate their activity levels and needs.