The reality of pressure ulcers: an exploratory sequential mixed design study in coaches and Paralympic athletes

This study aims to explore and understand the knowledge and attitudes of Paralympic athletes and their coaches toward pressure ulcers. By focusing on this underserved population, the study seeks to improve awareness, recognition, and management practices to minimize the health and performance impacts of pressure ulcers in Paralympic sports.

Paralympic athletes and their coaches were contacted. Volunteers were included in the exploratory sequential mixed design study. In the quantitative phase, a digital survey was used to evaluate Paralympic athletes' and coaches' awareness of pressure ulcers. To gain a deeper understanding of the factors deemed significant in the quantitative analyses, the researcher conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with athletes and coaches. The data was analyzed using the SPSS package program and MAXQDA program.

Ten coaches and 82 Paralympic athletes participated in the study. The sports disciplines were wheelchair basketball (40%), Paralympic table tennis (40%), Paralympic court tennis (10%), and athletics (10%). Coaches' knowledge about pressure ulcers was low, and athletes' knowledge was even lower. It was concluded that coaches should improve their attitudes toward pressure ulcers, particularly in the areas of competence and responsibility sharing. During the interviews with the participants, several themes emerged.

To address pressure ulcers' significance, it is essential to increase the knowledge level of both athletes and the entire team and adopt a positive attitude. It has been concluded that different areas of expertise in the fields of health and sports should work with a more organized structure and team awareness.