2022 Volume 8 Issue 1 Pages 117-123
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of changes in the living environment caused by the emergency declaration issued by the COVID-19 pandemic on the swimmers’ range of activities and mental health, and to examine the differences between swimmers with and without disabilities. The participants were 39 competitive swimmers, including 10 male para-swimmers, 10 female para-swimmers, 10 male swimmers, and 9 female swimmers. The online questionnaire was conducted twice: during the state of the emergency period, and after the period. The differences in the Life-Space Assessment (LSA) and Japanese Apathy Scale (JAS) between para-swimmers and able-bodied swimmers, by gender, were analyzed using a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA during and after the period. Concerning LSA, a significant main effect was shown only in the period related to the state of emergency (p<0.01). Among the female participants, there was a significant interaction effect of JAS (p<0.05). Female para-swimmers may be more susceptible to experiencing changes in mental health following their circumstances. Therefore, it is important to create opportunities for exercise in place of swimming by planning exercises that could be done on the spots, and to consider measures that consider mental health from the aspect of sex and disabilities.
