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Blind sports’ blind spot: The global epidemiology of visual impairment against participation trends in elite blind para sport

Stratton, Catherine SM ; Fagher, Kristina LU ; Li, Xiang ; Ottesen, Taylor D and Tuakli-Wosornu, Yetsa A. (2022) In Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering 9(1-10).
Abstract
Background: It remains unknown whether access to elite blind sports opportunities is globally balanced or matches the prevalence of blindness/visual impairment (VI). The primary objective of this study was to determine the rate of elite blind sports participation in each world region registered in the International Blind Sports Federation’s (IBSA) and to assess its association with the global and regional prevalence of blindness/VI. The secondary objective was to determine the association between other covariates, such as age, vision class, and sex, with the number of IBSA-registered athletes from each region.

Methods: A baseline estimate of blindness/VI data was established and used when comparing participation rates to... (More)
Background: It remains unknown whether access to elite blind sports opportunities is globally balanced or matches the prevalence of blindness/visual impairment (VI). The primary objective of this study was to determine the rate of elite blind sports participation in each world region registered in the International Blind Sports Federation’s (IBSA) and to assess its association with the global and regional prevalence of blindness/VI. The secondary objective was to determine the association between other covariates, such as age, vision class, and sex, with the number of IBSA-registered athletes from each region.

Methods: A baseline estimate of blindness/VI data was established and used when comparing participation rates to blindness/VI rates. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sports participation and associated co-variates.

Results: Among 123 member countries registered in IBSA, 31 did not have any completed registrations in blind sports, of which 22 had a prevalence of blindness/VI higher than the global average. During the summer season 2019, 738 (29.52%) IBSA athletes were female and 1762 (70.48%) were male.

Conclusions: These results suggest elite blind/VI sport participation is limited independently from blindness/VI prevalence. Increasing blind-friendly sport resources, especially in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), would improve the rate of elite sport participation among athletes with blindness/VI. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering
volume
9
issue
1-10
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • pmid:36061585
ISSN
2055-6683
DOI
10.1177/20556683221122276
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ce424a78-c2e0-4731-bb05-6c9138e8caa6
date added to LUP
2022-08-30 08:54:06
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:23:42
@article{ce424a78-c2e0-4731-bb05-6c9138e8caa6,
  abstract     = {{Background: It remains unknown whether access to elite blind sports opportunities is globally balanced or matches the prevalence of blindness/visual impairment (VI). The primary objective of this study was to determine the rate of elite blind sports participation in each world region registered in the International Blind Sports Federation’s (IBSA) and to assess its association with the global and regional prevalence of blindness/VI. The secondary objective was to determine the association between other covariates, such as age, vision class, and sex, with the number of IBSA-registered athletes from each region.<br/><br/>Methods: A baseline estimate of blindness/VI data was established and used when comparing participation rates to blindness/VI rates. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sports participation and associated co-variates.<br/><br/>Results: Among 123 member countries registered in IBSA, 31 did not have any completed registrations in blind sports, of which 22 had a prevalence of blindness/VI higher than the global average. During the summer season 2019, 738 (29.52%) IBSA athletes were female and 1762 (70.48%) were male.<br/><br/>Conclusions: These results suggest elite blind/VI sport participation is limited independently from blindness/VI prevalence. Increasing blind-friendly sport resources, especially in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), would improve the rate of elite sport participation among athletes with blindness/VI.}},
  author       = {{Stratton, Catherine SM and Fagher, Kristina and Li, Xiang and Ottesen, Taylor D and Tuakli-Wosornu, Yetsa A.}},
  issn         = {{2055-6683}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{1-10}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering}},
  title        = {{Blind sports’ blind spot: The global epidemiology of visual impairment against participation trends in elite blind para sport}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20556683221122276}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/20556683221122276}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}