Alyssa S. Levitt, BA
Medical Student
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, COOK, Illinois, United States
Audrey L. Lazar, BA
Research Assistant
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Strength & Endurance Lab
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Prakash Jayabalan, MD, PhD
Physician Scientist Director, Nancy W. Knowles Strength and Endurance Lab and Associate Professor
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab/Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Golf is associated with significant benefits for physical and mental health in individuals with disabilities. However, the prevalence of sports-related injuries and associated risk factors remain unknown in this population. Identifying these factors could benefit millions of golfers with disabilities globally. We assessed the prevalence of injuries/illnesses among golfers with disabilities and examined links between adaptive equipment use, sleep disturbances, and injury rates.
Design:
Cross-sectional analysis of golfers with disabilities aged 18+, recruited from an international database of the European Disability Golf Association and Midwestern Amputee Golf Association. Participants, playing at least a monthly 9-hole round, completed surveys on demographics, sports injuries/illnesses, and sleep quantity over the preceding three months. Injury/illness was defined as any new musculoskeletal or neurological condition impacting golf participation.
Results:
Among 154 international respondents, 64% reported injuries/illnesses in the past three months, higher than the 4% rate in golfers without disabilities established by a 2007 study. Adaptive equipment users (47%) reported higher injury/illness prevalence (67%) than non-users (61%). Additionally, 39% of participants did not meet healthy sleep guidelines (7–9 hours); 75% of these reported injuries compared to 55% of those who met guidelines. A significant association emerged between disability sub-classification (amputee(s), spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, vision impairment, neurologic/intellectual disability, other impairment) and sleep quantity (X² = 7.3, p < 0.001). 29% of those who reported inadequate sleep had a lower limb amputation. Additionally, there was a significant association between sleep quantity and injury/illness prevalence (X² = 0.03, p < 0.05) and adaptive equipment use and injury/illness prevalence (X² = 4x10⁻⁷, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Golfers with disabilities face increased injury risks, with associations with sleep disturbance and the use of adaptive equipment. Future studies should examine the factors leading to poorer sleep and optimize adaptive equipment to reduce injury prevalence.
