Perceptions and Experiences of Social Participation in Physical Activties Among Youths with Physical Disabilities in Greece. : A qualitative Empirical Study

Abstract: How youths’ with physical disabilities experience social participation in physical activities is a subject that has not been extensively researched in Greece. Asking youths can give a deeper insight of their perceptions related to their social participation and how their contexts contribute to that. The family Participation Related Construct (fPRC) framework was used under the umbrella of the Systems Theory to guide the whole procedure of this study. A qualitative approach was conducted by five in-depth interviews with Greek youths (mean age 23) with physical disabilities using online video-call applications. A deductive content analysis was applied for this study, including four themes: 1) the construct of participation in the context of physical activity, 2) Intrinsic factors that influence social participation, 3) Intrinsic factors that are influenced by social participation, and 4) extrinsic factors that influence social participation. Results showed that youths overall described their social participation as a sense of belongingness and social connection with others. They perceived that attending the physical activities that were meaningful to them strongly influenced their social involvement. They also described that social participation in those specific contexts increased their self-confidence. Admittedly, family and activities were contextual aspects that positively influenced youths’ social participation. Results also showed the negative influence of the environment, such as the accessibility, state support and the COVID-19 pandemic, either directly or indirectly influenced youths’ social participation. Findings of this study support the need for future practical interventions in the Greek community, considering all aspects of the fPRC framework. Finally, collecting a broader number of perspectives will benefit the presented topic in order to create a more holistic view of what needs to be done to bring balance into the system.