Vad motiverar paraidrottare att utöva idrott och motion? En kvalitativ studie

Sammanfattning: The purpose of the study, which is qualitative, was to investigate what motivates para- athletes living with a physical disability to perform sports and exercise based on the self- determination theory. Then a semi-structured interview guide that is designed based on the self-determination theory's sub theory BPNT (Basic psychological needs theory) (Ryan & Deci, 2002). In total, ten interviews were conducted with a gender distribution of three women and seven men who were aged 22–58 (M=45.6). The result showed that an individual living with physical disabilities is driven by the inner motivation to perform their para-sport or exercise. Four overarching themes were identified using a deductive approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and based on collected data, the several sub-themes were identified which were put together inductively. The four main themes include autonomy in para-sport practice, perceptions of para-sport belonging, perceptions of competence in para-sport contexts and barriers leading to inactive participation in para-sport. The three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and belonging were fulfilled by the participants in the study. The external motivation in the form of social support increased the motivation which generated an increased participation in their activity. It appears in the study that the social support from family and friends is of great importance for long-term endurance for para-athletes. The results of the study show that with motivation, you can get several people with physical disabilities to start performing para-sports and exercise in order to have better physical and mental health, which becomes a contributing factor to continued participation in an individual's chosen activity.