Int J Sports Med 2023; 44(05): 361-368
DOI: 10.1055/a-2003-0429
Training & Testing

Stakeholders’ Consensus to Guide the Minimum Impairment Criteria in Wheelchair Basketball

Michael Hutchinson
1   School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
,
Barry Mason
1   School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2   Head of Performance Services, Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
,
Victoria Goosey-Tolfrey
1   School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
› Author Affiliations
Funding Information International Wheelchair Basketball Federation — British Wheelchair Basketball Federation — Peter Harrison Foundation — http:// dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100014817;

Abstract

The International Paralympic Committee athlete classification code mandates sports to have defined minimum impairment criteria, describing the minimum level of an eligible impairment an athlete must possess, to be able to participate in that sport. The aim of this study was to establish stakeholders’ consensus for the minimum impairment criteria in wheelchair basketball. From a pool of 48 expert stakeholders (identified via an international medical and scientific working group), 39 completed a 4-round Delphi survey. Questions were answered on the method of assessing each eligible impairment, and the level of impairment that should constitute the minimum impairment criteria. This study indicated where stakeholder consensus existed and noted that consensus was developed for impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of motion, leg length difference, hypertonia and ataxia. No consensus was found for limb deficiency and athetosis. Participants raised concerns with using subjective measurement scales for assessing certain impairments, whilst also calling for more quantitative research to be conducted into the level of impairment that should constitute the minimum impairment criteria. For these research findings to form practical minimum impairment criteria that are part of a wheelchair basketball classification system, it is required to examine their feasibility by conducting further research.

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 22 June 2022

Accepted: 21 December 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
21 December 2022

Article published online:
16 February 2023

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