A situational analysis of community physical activity participation by children and young people with neurodisability

Visser, Karen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6409-7492 2024. A situational analysis of community physical activity participation by children and young people with neurodisability. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Physical activity (PA) brings health benefits. Children and young people (C&YP) with neurodisability face challenges to PA, participate less than typically developing peers, and have fewer community opportunities and choices. I examined the situation using interview data involving families and community PA providers and applying situational analysis (SA). Cardiff University ethically approved the study. Participants included C&YP with neurodisability (4-17 years), parents, and service providers supporting community PA participation. All participants gave informed consent/assent for participation. SA of participants’ interview data answered three research questions: 1. What community PA participation opportunities are available and where do C&YP participate? 2. What are the barriers/facilitators to participation? 3. What are key action areas to increase participation? SA findings showed C&YP participated in informal play and sport within families, school, and community neighbourhoods/groups. They participated in therapeutic exercise with healthcare professionals and in formal sport in community groups/sport programmes. Most community opportunities were sport, supported by charities and volunteers. Barriers and facilitators fitted into eight situational categories: people, organisations, resources, information, organisational/institutional, discursive, environmental, and temporal. Barriers and facilitators connected and interacted in a complex network of relations that enabled or hindered participation. Thus, presence of facilitators did not guarantee participation. Overall, a fragmented situation made navigating participation difficult for families and providers. Influential disability discourses could hinder participation, while C&YP’s participation altered over time. SA identified three areas for future action: 1. Develop participation-focused healthcare education. vii 2. Co-ordinate situation elements e.g., people, information and resources. 3. Assist families and providers navigate participation

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Healthcare Sciences
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	9 January 2025
Last Modified:	09 Jan 2025 16:25
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/175156

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