Exploring Features of the Parasport Environment Associated With Quality Participation

The quality parasport participation framework proposes that features of the physical, program, and social environments (i.e., foundational strategies) foster quality participation that supports positive psychosocial outcomes. We examined whether features of these environments predict quality participation as well as relationships between specific foundational strategies and quality participation. Adults with physical impairment/s (n = 270) involved in parasport completed measures of the extent to which they experienced quality parasport participation and 16 environmental features consistent with foundational strategies for fostering quality parasport participation. Forced entry hierarchical multiple regression models were computed for each environment. After controlling for covariates, the physical environment model explained 18.4% of variance in quality participation (medium-sized effect), the program environment model explained 22.3% (medium-sized effect), and the social environment model explained 33.3% (large-sized effect) (ps < .001). This study provides support for the quality parasport participation framework and direction for program leaders to use quality parasport participation framework strategies to foster quality participation in parasport.