Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1999

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Recreation and Sport Management

Major Professor

Francis T. Hendrick

Abstract

The National Veterans Wheelchair Sports have provided disabled athletes with the opportunity to experience sports on a competitive level as well as recreational level. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of sport competition on the perceived physical and psychological wellbeing of participants that competed in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG). The United States Department of Veterans Affairs Recreation Therapy Service has a strong interest on the quality of their programs and effects on its veterans. Their purpose is striving to strengthen and enhance rehabilitation among their veterans by assisting in the therapeutic interventions and physical performance of veterans.

The study was developed to determine veterans' perceptions of their physical and psychological wellbeing after competition in the NVWG. Utilizing previous surveys to reveal participant's perception on physical health, activity participation, physical rehabilitation, self-efficacy, and self-esteem developed the study's survey. A total response of 51 usable questionnaires was recorded.

Forty-nine men and two women completed and returned the survey. Five sections of the survey were created to clearly identify the relationship of the general information of participants and the research questions of the survey. Sections included: 1) general information regarding veterans' participation in recreation, 2) information on perceived physical health, increased range of activity, and benefits from physical activity, 3) participants' perceptions of levels of self-efficacy after competing in the NVWG, and 4) participants' perceptions of levels of self-esteem after competing in the NVWG. Surveys were distributed among participants at the 1999 Sports Fitness Expo in Puerto Rico and the VA's Spinal Cord Injury Centers. Once the surveys were completed, the data was collected and analyzed at the University of Tennessee's Computational Consulting Center. Programs used to analyze the data included Pair t-tests, one way ANOVA, Tukey Post Hoc, and independent sample t-tests to decipher the gathered data. The mean percentage, p values, and frequencies of the results of the survey were also analyzed.

The research results suggest that there is significance in physical activity before injury and after sport competition. Further findings indicate that a moderately high self- efficacy and high self-esteem are effected by sport competition. Unfortunately, a before injury data collection was not attained to compare a significant difference. In addition, the study indicates that self-efficacy and self-esteem levels vary in comparisons of age groups and different disabilities.

These results of the study can imply that sport competition has an impact on physical and psychological wellbeingData supports the purpose of the study. However, several factors influencing the physical and psychological wellbeing and sport competition are necessary for further research. Moreover, several implications indicate various topics future studies regarding the impact of sport competition.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS