What Contributes to Athlete Performance Health? A Concept Mapping Approach

Erin A. Smyth (), Alex Donaldson, Michael K. Drew, Miranda Menaspa, Jennifer Cooke, Sara A. Guevara, Craig Purdam, Craig Appaneal, Rebecca Wiasak and Liam Toohey
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Erin A. Smyth: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce Campus, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
Alex Donaldson: Centre for Sport and Social Impact, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
Michael K. Drew: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce Campus, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
Miranda Menaspa: Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
Jennifer Cooke: Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
Sara A. Guevara: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce Campus, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
Craig Purdam: School of Physiotherapy, University of Canberra, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
Craig Appaneal: Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Rebecca Wiasak: Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
Liam Toohey: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce Campus, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Background: In high-performance sport, athlete performance health encompasses a state of optimal physical, mental, and social wellbeing related to an athlete’s sporting success. The aim of this study was to identify the priority areas for achieving athlete performance health in Australia’s high-performance sport system (HPSS). Methods: Participants across five socioecological levels of Australia’s HPSS were invited to contribute to this study. Concept mapping, a mixed-methods approach incorporating qualitative and quantitative data collection, was used. Participants brainstormed ideas for what athlete performance health requires, sorted the ideas into groups based on similar meaning and rated the importance, and ease of achieving each idea on a scale from 1 (not important/easiest to overcome) to 5 (extremely important/hardest to overcome). Results: Forty-nine participants generated 97 unique statements that were grouped into 12 clusters following multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The three clusters with highest mean importance rating were (mean importance rating (1–5), mean ease of overcoming (1–5)): ‘Behavioral competency’ (4.37, 2.30); ‘Collaboration and teamwork’ (4.19, 2.65); ‘Valuing athlete wellbeing’ (4.17, 2.77). The 12 clusters were grouped into five overarching domains: Domain one—Performance health culture; Domain two—Integrated strategy; Domain three—Operational effectiveness; Domain four—Skilled people; Domain five—Leadership. Conclusion: A diverse sample of key stakeholders from Australia’s HPSS identified five overarching domains that contribute to athlete performance health. The themes that need to be addressed in a strategy to achieve athlete performance health in Australia’s HPSS are ‘Leadership’, ‘Skilled people’, ‘Performance health culture’, ‘Operational effectiveness’, and ‘Integrated strategy’.

Keywords: athletic performance; sports; athletes; health; injury (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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