Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Life Space Extent and Apathy: A Comparison of Competitive Japanese Swimmers with and without Disabilities

Kazuki Kaneda, Noriaki Maeda, Yuta Suzuki, Kazuki Fukui and Yukio Urabe
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Kazuki Kaneda: Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Noriaki Maeda: Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Yuta Suzuki: Department of Rehabilitation, Matterhorn Rehabilitation Hospital, Hiroshima 737-0046, Japan
Kazuki Fukui: Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Yukio Urabe: Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-10

Abstract: Changes in the daily lives and mental health of people with disabilities due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have not been reported. The Japanese government closed public facilities, including swimming pools, during the first wave of COVID-19, and many competitive swimmers lost their places of activities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on life space and apathy among swimmers and investigated differences in the impact on swimmers with and without disabilities. A total of 39 competitive swimmers participated in this study, including 11 male and nine female swimmers with disabilities (swimmers with disabilities = para-swimmers), and e11 male and eight female swimmers without disabilities. Baseline and follow-up web-based questionnaire surveys were conducted, and changes in life space and apathy scale (AS) were assessed. Female para-swimmers showed significantly lower apathy than female able-bodied subjects (para, during; 16.0 ± 1.9; after, 12.8 ± 3.2; non-disabled; during, 10.5 ± 4.4; after, 10.6 ± 4.8; p < 0.05). Female swimmers with disabilities may be more likely to experience worsening mental health due to changes in their lifestyle.

Keywords: the coronavirus disease COVID-19; female athlete; physical impairment; para-sport; swimmer; life space; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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