European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 2025 (vol. 18)
EUDAPA: Academic, social and employment assessment of an international programme
Ramiro Muñoz-Calvo, Saleky García-Gómez, Jyrki Vilhu, Javier Pérez-Tejero
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 2 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2024.015 
The European Diploma in Adapted Physical Activity (EUDAPA) is an international program focused on the adapted physical activity (APA) field. Students and teachers come from different places around the world in order to share. The aim of this study was to assess the opinion of EUDAPA alumni about the influence of the programme in their applied APA professional knowledge, competences, skills, socialization, and future employment capability. An ad hoc questionnaire was developed from a proposed evaluation of those skills, which was assessed and validated through experts' opinion. Thereafter, the tool was sent by email to all of the 136 alumni who took...
The effect of attentional focus based on learning stages on motor learning in children with intellectual disabilities
Rasool Zeidabadi, Ensieh Sadat Askari Tabar, Morteza Pourazar
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 3 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2024.013
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different focus of attention (Internal, External, and Mixed) instructions on the acquisition and learning of a throwing skill in children with intellectual disabilities. Thirty boys with intellectual disabilities (M = 12.1 SD = 1.42 years) with an intelligence quotient ranging between 50 and 69 participated in this study. All participants were randomly assigned to three groups (internal: focusing on the movements of their throwing hand, external: focusing on the movement of the beanbag, and mixed: focusing on the movement of their hand in the first half of training and focusing on the movement...
Sport commitment in Taiwanese para-athletes
Andy Wei-Ru Yao, Deborah Shapiro, Cheng-Chen Pan, Wei-Ren Chen
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 4 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2024.014
While the Sport Commitment Model (SCM) has been widely used in research, recent studies suggest increasing scholarly interest in exploring additional antecedents to this model. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), with its emphasis on factors influencing motivation, may provide a framework for exploring supplemental constructs to better understand the sport commitment of para-athletes with disabilities. This study examined the relationship among four potential SCT factors (i.e., sport enjoyment, perceived competence, sport friendship quality, external rewards) in predicting two dimensions of sport commitment: enthusiastic commitment and constrained...
A multidisciplinary investigation into talent identification process in blind soccer: A Delphi and analytical hierarchy process study
Morteza Tafah, Ali Shamsi Majelan, Fariba Mohammadi
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 7 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.001
Talent identification programs will pave the way for participation of people with impairments in sports and are important for achieving success in the Paralympic Games. The aim of this study was to identify and rank the important factors for talent identification in 5-a-side soccer. The expert panel participated in a three-phase e-Delphi study to reach consensus on important factors for talent identification in 5-a-side soccer. Experts included 5-a-side soccer coaches and talent scouts, 5-a-side soccer players, and experts in the field of sports for individuals with visual impairments. Consensus was reached on 56 factors (categorized into six criteria),...
The influence of role models on the engagement of people with disabilities in sport: A scoping review
Priscilla B. Bittar, Márcio Pereira Morato, Janine K. Coates, Otávio Luis Piva da Cunha Furtado
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 8 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.002
Role models can motivate and promote engagement in activities of interest. This study sought to investigate how para-athletes can serve as role models for people with disabilities. Twenty-one studies were included in a scoping review to examine existing evidence relating to role models within parasport. A thematic analysis of available evidence identified five key themes. Persons identified as role models showed para-athletes, coaching staff with disabilities and other people (e.g. family members) were cited as potential role models to people with disabilities. Para-athlete role models as inspirational showed that role models could be important for...
Quality of life and health among persons with severe physical disabilities after participation in Team Twin – a push-assisted recreational running programme: A 16-week pre- and post-study
Andreas Jørgensen, Mette Toftager, Mark P.P. Lyngbaek, Grit E. Legaard, Mathias Ried-Larsen, Christina Bjørk Petersen
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 9 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.004
There is limited research on the health benefits of recreational sports for adults with severe physical disabilities. The Danish Team Twin has introduced an inclusive push-assisted running activity that involves both people with and without disabilities running together using specially designed running chairs. This study aimed to determine if participation in this activity could improve quality of life (QoL) and physical, mental and social health outcomes. The study was conducted over 16 weeks, with one weekly push-assisted running session averaging 77 minutes each. A single-arm pre-post design was applied. Health outcomes and participation perception...
Bayesian analysis of parental intentions to promote physical activity in young people with cerebral palsy.
Alfredo Ruiz, Taija Finni, Pauli Rintala, Kaisa Kaseva, Kwok Ng
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 10 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.006
This study investigates the determinants of parents’ intentions to support physical activity in their children with cerebral palsy (CP), guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). It is hypothesized that parental intention to support PA in young people with CP will be influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Sixteen parents of young people with CP participating in the Exercises for CP (EXECP) intervention, were surveyed using a questionnaire developed based on the TPB constructs: Attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intention. Data was collected prior to the 3-month EXECP...
Assessing shoulder strength in elite sitting volleyball athletes: An isokinetic analysis of rotator cuff muscles
Mohamad Fashi, Mohammad Reza Mahmoudkhani, Arezoo Eskandari, Shirko Ahmadi
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 11 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.005
The nature of sitting volleyball (SV) involves repeated overhead activities and rapid movement across the court using the upper limbs. Consequently, these technical demands necessitate optimal glenohumeral muscle performance, especially among professional athletes. This study aimed to investigate the shoulder rotators' isokinetic strength profile of elite SV players. Sixteen male SV national team players participated in this study. They were preparing for the Tokyo 2022 Paralympic Games, with an average age of Mean = 27.1, SD = 6.5 years, height of Mean = 188.2, SD = 17.1 cm, weight of Mean = 88.1, SD = 21.7 kg, and a BMI of Mean = 24.9, SD = 7.6 kg/m2....
Criterion validity of device-based motion sensors for monitoring free-living physical activity in community-dwelling manual wheelchair users: A systematic review
Kati S. Karinharju, Sjaan R. Gomersall, Kelly M. Clanchy, Ngoc N.T. Ha, Sean M. Tweedy
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 14 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.008
Community-dwelling manual wheelchair users (MWU) accumulate less physical activity (PA) and are more sedentary than their ambulatory peers. To promote PA and evaluate interventions, accurate PA monitoring methods in free-living circumstances are needed. Recent advances in device-based motion sensor (DBMS) technology and data analytics have raised the possibility that DBMS might be used – either individually or in combination – to provide accurate estimates of free-living PA in MWU. This study reviewed the evidence for existing DBMS for estimating energy expenditure (EE); self-propulsion (SP); activities other than SP; and wheelchair...
Becoming more active: A protocol for assessing and supporting physical activity in special schools for students with intellectual disabilities
Christiane Reuter, Jakob Prechtl
European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 19 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.013
The goal of this study is to support and evaluate the process of developing a school into becoming a more active school, particularly for children with intellectual disabilities (ID). This study protocol outlines the first phase of a broader school development project aimed at promoting physical activity (PA) and health among students with ID. The intervention, conducted at one school, uses a structured action cycle facilitated by a coordination group consisting of school staff, university consultants and students. Over a three-year period (2023-2026), various strategies are participatively elaborated and implemented to increase daily physical activity....