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Making sense of 'sport as a therapy choice' for paediatric physiotherapists working with young people with disabilities

Booth, Susan

Making sense of 'sport as a therapy choice' for paediatric physiotherapists  working with young people with disabilities Thumbnail


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Contributors

Nicky Spence
Supervisor

Abstract

Physiotherapy practice is affected by the challenge of maintaining patients’ engagement with physiotherapy and appears in its top ten research priorities (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 2021b; Rankin et al, 2012, 2020). Paediatric physiotherapists have successfully employed sport and physical activity (sport/PA) to
address limited engagement observed in young people with disabilities (YPwD) with the results reported in professional journals. However, limited exploration of the meanings attributed by paediatric physiotherapists to ‘sport as a therapy choice’ currently exists.
Therefore, this project explored paediatric physiotherapists’ lived experiences to examine how they make sense of ‘sport as a therapy choice’ in their practice.
Accordingly, a qualitative research paradigm employing Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse data from semi-structured individual interviews with UK-based paediatric physiotherapists working in public and private healthcare. Findings indicated six Group Experiential Themes (GETs).
• Shaped by contexts.
• It’s all about the kids.
• Relationship of physiotherapy and sport/physical activity.
• Sport/PA – a tool in the toolbox.
• Locating identity.
• Embodiment of models.
The themes highlighted how ‘sport as a therapy choice’ was experienced and enacted within paediatric rehabilitation. Findings will be helpful to educators and paediatric physiotherapists working with YPwD, to deepen contextual understandings when deploying sport/PA to meet therapeutic objectives.
As no study has previously explored how paediatric physiotherapists experience ‘sport as a therapy choice,’ this study provides a unique contribution.

Thesis Type Thesis
Acceptance Date Feb 13, 2025
Online Publication Date Mar 27, 2025
Deposit Date Feb 22, 2025
Publicly Available Date Apr 28, 2025
Award Date Feb 13, 2025

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