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Parents of children and youth with disabilities (CYD) have expressed unique physical activity (PA) information needs. Community-based organizations (CBOs) require assistance to meet these needs. Guided by the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation II, this project established evidence-informed recommendations for developing PA information targeting families of CYD. This process involved a systematic scoping review to inform draft recommendations (k = 23), which were revised via a consensus meeting with researchers, knowledge users from CBOs, and families of CYD. Broader consultation with CBO knowledge users informed the final recommendations (k = 5) that fit within the following categories: (a) language and definitions, (b) program information, (c) benefits of PA, (d) barriers to PA, and (e) PA ideas and self-regulation tools. CBOs are encouraged to consider these recommendations when developing PA information for families of CYD. Future research will focus on the development of knowledge products to disseminate the recommendations to CBOs and support implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine preferences of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and health care professionals (HCP) regarding the content and format of a SCI physical activity guide to support recently released SCI physical activity guidelines. Seventy-eight people with SCI and 80 HCP completed a survey questionnaire. Participants with SCI identified desired content items and their preferences for format. HCP rated the helpfulness of content items to prescribe physical activity. All content items were rated favorably by participants with SCI and useful by HCP. The risks and benefits of activity and inactivity, and strategies for becoming more active, were rated high by both samples. Photographs and separate information for those with paraplegia versus tetraplegia were strongly endorsed. These data were used to guide the development of an SCI physical activity guide to enhance the uptake of physical activity guidelines for people with SCI. The guide was publically released November 11, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical framework, the present study examined psychosocial predictors of exercise intentions and behavior among 124 men and women with spinal cord injury. Theory of planned behavior constructs were measured using an exercise-specific questionnaire for individuals with spinal cord injury. Exercise behavior was assessed using an adapted version of the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire. Regression analyses indicated that the theory of planned behavior had limited utility in this population. Among individuals with tetrapelgia, perceived behavioral control was the only determinant of exercise intentions and behavior. Among people with paraplegia, none of the theory of planned behavior constructs predicted exercise intentions or behavior. These results have methodological and practical implications for future research and exercise interventions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theorists have highlighted the important conceptual distinction between claimed and behavioral self-handicaps (e.g., Leary & Shepperd, 1986), but effort has not been directed toward determining whether the two forms of self-handicapping have different determinants and consequences. Kuczka and Treasure (2005) found that the use of claimed self-handicaps prior to a tournament was positively correlated with perceptions of the team environment as being ego-oriented, and negatively correlated with perceptions of the team environment as being task-oriented. However, we are not aware of any studies that have manipulated motivational climate and directly compared the use of self-handicaps across climates. Thus, the purpose of the present experiment was to examine whether the use of claimed and behavioral self-handicaps and their correlates differed across experimentally manipulated motivational climates. Fifty-six competitive players, 25 men (M age = 20.7 years, SD = 2.6) and 31 women (M age = 20.8; SD = 3.9), participated in the study. A repeated measures design was utilized, such that all participants completed the experimental task (i.e., a test of basketball skill) in both mastery and performance climate. Questionnaire measures of anxiety direction and claimed self-handicapping were administered pretest. Behavioral self-handicapping was operationalized as the number of preparatory shots taken during a warm-up. ANOVA showed no differences in claimed self-handicapping across motivational climates (p > .05). However, greater behavioral self-handicapping occurred in the performance than the mastery climate, F(1, 54) = 46.21, p < .001. Claimed, but not behavioral was predicted by cognitive (r = -.39) and somatic (r = -.50) anxiety direction. Contrary to expectation, neither type of self-handicap was related to performance on the test in either climate (p > .05). These findings reinforce the conceptual distinction between claimed and behavioral self-handicaps and suggest that individual and environmental factors may differentially influence each type of handicap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]