Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, ISSN 1918-3003 print, 1918-3011 online, Open Access
Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Clin Med Res and Elmer Press Inc
Journal website http://www.jocmr.org

Original Article

Volume 11, Number 11, November 2019, pages 729-739


Mental Health Status and Related Factors Among Visually Impaired Athletes

Tables

Table 1. Participants’ Attributes, Condition of Visual Impairment and Competition Activities (n = 81)
 
Mean ± SD or n (%)
SD: standard deviation. aB1: blind; B2: severe low vision; B3: low vision.
Attributes
  Age (years)32.8 ± 12.0
  Gender
    Male59 (72.8%)
    Female22 (27.2%)
  Residential style
    Living with family44 (54.3%)
    Living alone or without family37 (45.7%)
Condition of visual impairment
  Athletic classificationa
    B131 (38.3%)
    B225 (30.9%)
    B325 (30.9%)
  Causing time of disability
    Congenital48 (59.3%)
    Acquired33 (40.7%)
Competition activities
  Sports events
    Track and field (marathon)18 (22.2%)
    Goalball11 (13.6%)
    Swimming23 (28.4%)
    Blind soccer14 (17.3%)
    Judo15 (18.5%)
  Athletic career (years)11.5 ± 9.0
  Performance level
    International medalist26 (32.1%)
    International16 (19.8%)
    Prizes at national competitions23 (28.4%)
    Others16 (19.8%)
  Athletic level
    Japanese delegate47 (58.0%)
    Others34 (42.0%)
  Training day per week (times)5.3 ± 1.8
  Total training time per week (minutes)778.3 ± 429.9

 

Table 2. Participants’ Status of Mental Health, Social Support, and Competition Stressors (n = 81)
 
Median (interquartile range)n (%)Mean ± SD
SD: standard deviation.
Mental health2.0 (0.0 - 4.0)
  Good (K6 score less than or equal to 4)64 (79.0%)
  Bad (K6 score more than or equal to 5)17 (21.0%)
Competition stressors
  Interpersonal relationships4.9 ± 3.8
  Competition results4.7 ± 2.7
  Evaluations from one’s surroundings2.7 ± 2.8
  Expectations and pressure from others5.2 ± 3.7
  Motivation loss3.9 ± 3.3
Social support
  Family members14.9 ± 3.8
  Friends of athletic peers15.4 ± 2.7
  Friends of non-athletic peers15.5 ± 2.7
  Coaches15.3 ± 3.0

 

Table 3. Comparison of Characteristics Between Participants With Good and Bad Mental Health
 
Mental healthP value
Good (K6 ≤ 4, n = 64), n (%) or mean ± SDBad (K6 ≥ 5, n =17), n (%) or mean ± SD
SD: standard deviation. Statistical methodologies are as follows: aMann-Whitney U-test, bFisher’s exact test, and cunpaired t-test.
Attributes
  Age34.2 ± 12.227.6 ± 9.60.061a
  Gender
    Male52 (88.1%)7 (11.9%)0.002b
    Female12 (54.5%)10 (45.5%)
  Residential style
    Living with family37 (84.1%)7 (15.9%)0.278b
    Living alone or without family27 (73.0%)10 (27.0%)
Condition of visual impairment
  Athletic classification
    B127 (87.1%)4 (12.9%)0.101b
    B221 (84.0%)4 (16.0%)
    B316 (64.0%)9 (36.0%)
  Causing time of disability
    Congenital35 (72.9%)13 (27.1%)0.164b
    Acquired29 (87.9%)4 (12.1%)
Competition activities
  Sport events
    Track and field (marathon)16 (88.9%)2 (11.1%)0.803b
    Goalball9 (81.8%)2 (18.2%)
    Swimming17 (73.9%)6 (26.1%)
    Blind soccer11 (78.6%)3 (21.4%)
    Judo11 (73.3%)4 (26.7%)
  Atheletic career (years)12.3 ± 9.68.7 ± 5.70.227a
  Performance level
    International medalist22 (84.6%)4 (15.4%)0.506b
    International14 (87.5%)2 (12.5%)
    Prizes at national competition16 (72.7%)6 (27.3%)
    Others12 (70.6%)5 (29.4%)
  Athletic level
    Japanese delegate38 (80.9%)9 (19.1%)0.783b
    Others26 (76.5%)8 (23.5%)
  Training day per week (times)5.2 ± 1.95.4 ± 1.50.976a
  Total training time per week (min)786.4 ± 429.3742.1 ± 451.00.709c
Competition stressors
  Interpersonal relationships4.8 ± 3.75.7 ± 4.20.466a
  Competition results4.5 ± 2.65.5 ± 2.90.057 a
  Evaluations from one’s surroundings2.3 ± 2.54.4 ± 3.30.014a
  Expectations and pressure from others4.8 ± 3.56.5 ± 3.90.081a
  Motivation loss3.4 ± 3.05.7 ± 3.60.010a
Social support
  Family members15.5 ± 3.412.8 ± 4.60.028a
  Friends of athletic peers15.2 ± 2.615.9 ± 2.80.298a
  Friends of non-athletic peers15.3 ± 2.416.1 ± 3.80.116a
  Coaches15.2 ± 3.215.7± 2.10.556a

 

Table 4. Logistic Regression Analyses Investigating the Relationships Between Attributes, Condition of Visual Impairment, Competition Activities, Competition Stressors, Social Support and Mental Health
 
Univariate analysisMultivariate analysisa
OR95% CIP valueOR95% CIP value
OR: odds ratio; CI: confidence interval. aFor multivariate analysis, we used the stepwise forward method (likelihood ratio); the factors which had a significant relation with mental health in univariate analysis were only used as independent variables in multivariate analysis.
Attributes
  Age
    Thirty years or more1.00
    Less than 29 years2.900.91 - 9.180.071
  Gender
    Male1.001.00
    Female6.191.96 - 19.990.00211.942.60 - 54.760.001
  Residential style
    With family1.00
    Without family1.960.66 - 5.800.225
Condition of visual impairment
  Athletic classification
    B11.00
    B21.290.29 - 5.750.742
    B33.801.00 - 14.360.049
  Causing time of disability
    Congenital1.00
    Acquired2.690.79 - 9.160.113
Competition activities
  Sport events
    Track and field (marathon)1.00
    Goalball1.780.21 - 14.860.595
    Swimming2.820.50 - 16.080.242
    Blind soccer2.180.31 - 15.290.432
    Judo2.910.45 - 18.740.261
  Athletic career
    Less than 10 years1.00
    Ten or more years1.060.36 - 3.090.250
  Performance level
    International medalist1.00
    International0.790.13 - 4.870.796
    Prizes at national games2.060.50 - 8.530.318
    Others2.290.52 - 10.180.276
  Athletic level
    Japanese delegate1.00
    Others1.300.44 - 3.810.633
  Training day per week
    6 - 7 days1.00
    1 - 5 days1.090.37 - 3.240.874
  Total training time per week
    Less than 700 min1.00
    700 or more min2.560.81 - 8.090.111
Competition stressors
  Interpersonal relationships
    0 - 4 points1.00
    Five or more points1.720.58 - 5.100.325
  Competition results
    0 - 5 points1.00
    Six or more points4.281.34 - 13.670.014
  Evaluation from one’s surroundings
    0 - 2 points1.001.00
    Three or more points3.501.14 - 10.730.0285.741.34 - 24.600.019
  Expectation and pressure from others
    0 - 5 points1.00
    Six or more points1.540.53 - 4.510.429
  Motivation loss
    0 - 4 points1.00
    Five or more points3.751.22 - 11.540.021
Social support
  Family members
    Fifteen or more points1.001.00
    0 - 14 points3.651.20 - 11.070.0223.971.03 - 15.250.045
  Friends of athletic peers
    0 - 14 points1.00
    Fifteen or more points2.120.55 - 8.220.276
  Friends of non-athletic peers
    0 - 14 points1.00
    Fifteen or more points1.590.46 - 5.460.464
  Coaches
    0 - 14 points1.00
    Fifteen or more points1.480.43 - 5.100.537