Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians

Gülsüm Yılmaz; Leyla Saraç

doi:10.54141/psbd.1757607

Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians

Abstract

Research on Paralympic athletes remains less comprehensive than research on Olympic athletes and has primarily focused on physical and physiological parameters. Further research is needed to better understand psychosocial factors among Paralympic athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the motivations, coping skills, reasons, barriers, and facilitators of Turkish Paralympic athletes who participated in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games according to gender, disability type, and sport type. Seventy-eight Turkish Paralympic athletes participated in this study. Data were collected using the Motivation Scale for Sports Participation of People with Disabilities, the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28, and the Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Inventory. The study revealed that Paralympic athletes' motivation to participate in sports was generally similar across gender, type of disability, and sport, except that extrinsic motivation was higher among female athletes. Differences were found in the sub-dimensions of coping skills based on gender, type of disability, and sport. Additionally, the reasons, barriers, and facilitators for sports participation varied depending on these factors. Although motivation levels among Turkish Paralympic athletes were similar across gender, disability type, and sport, their athletic coping skills, reasons for participation, barriers, and facilitators varied and were influenced by these variables. The findings suggest that policymakers should consider these factors, implement appropriate strategies and policies, and develop regulations aimed at increasing the participation of Paralympic athletes in sports.

Keywords

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Physical Training and Sports, Physical Training, Sports and Physical Activity For Disabled, Sports and Recreation

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Gülsüm Yılmaz ^*
0009-0003-4456-6591
Türkiye

Leyla Saraç
0000-0002-8593-6873
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

July 16, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

August 4, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 11, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1757607

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA33BP54WE

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Yılmaz, G., & Saraç, L. (2026). Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1757607

AMA

1.Yılmaz G, Saraç L. Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1757607

Chicago

Yılmaz, Gülsüm, and Leyla Saraç. 2026. “Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1757607.

EndNote

Yılmaz G, Saraç L (July 1, 2026) Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences Advanced Online Publication

IEEE

[1]G. Yılmaz and L. Saraç, “Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians”, Pamukkale J Sport Sci, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, doi: 10.54141/psbd.1757607.

ISNAD

Yılmaz, Gülsüm - Saraç, Leyla. “Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences. Advanced Online Publication (July 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1757607.

JAMA

1.Yılmaz G, Saraç L. Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026. doi:10.54141/psbd.1757607.

MLA

Yılmaz, Gülsüm, and Leyla Saraç. “Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, doi:10.54141/psbd.1757607.

Vancouver

1.Gülsüm Yılmaz, Leyla Saraç. Motivations, Coping Skills, Reasons, Barriers, and Facilitators of Sports Participation Among Turkish Rio 2016 Paralympians. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026 Jul. 1;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1757607