@2024 Afarand., IRAN

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ISSN: 2008-2630    Iranian Journal of War & Public Health 2017;9(3):155-161

Background
… [1-3]. Physical activity and exercise beyond a recreational device is an important factor in the evolution of physical and mental disorders of veterans and disabled people [4]. Often, a veteran is considered as a disabled person, while the pperson’s disability does not necessarily disable him [5]. However, in most societies, including our society, people with disabilities are viewed negatively, and often they are treated as degraded person. … [6, 7]. Problems such as social isolation, depression, obesity, pain, insomnia, stress, respiratory problems, muscular cramp, difficulty in finding friends, etc. are examples of these secondary complications that can be improved or even removed with the help of regular physical activity and exercise [8].
Previous Studies

Aim(s)
The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of benefits and barriers of participation in motor and physical activities with the participation of veterans in these activities.
Research type
This research is descriptive-correlational.
Research society, place and time
This study was conducted in all of veterans of amputation, spinal cord, blind, chemical, monochromatic, nervous and mental disorders, sensory and motor problems and other veterans of Ardabil province in year of 2016 with a total of 4283 individuals.
Sampling method and number
Based on the Morgan sample size table, 353 participants were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling.
Used devices&materials
Data collection was done using 3 instruments; demographic information, obstacles to sports participation and benefits of sports participation questionnaires: Demographic Information Questionnaire: The questionnaire contained questions about the demographic characteristics of participants, such as age, marital status, level of activity, level of education, etc. Obstacles to Sports Participation Questionnaire: This questionnaire was developed by Mirghafouri et al. [5] and has been used in several other internal investigations. Considering the research topic and the research participants, the questionnaire's dimensions and questions were modified using the view of the specialist professors and existing documents. In total, the questionnaire consists of four dimensions: financial barriers and facilities, personal barriers, family barriers, and social barriers, and 22 items that for scoring a five-degree Likert scale is used. Benefits to Sports Participation Questionnaire: This questionnaire was developed by Hemayat Talab et al. [7]. Considering the research topic and the research participants, the questionnaire's dimensions and questions were modified using the views of specialist professors and existing documents. In total, a questionnaire consists of four dimensions: social benefits, biological benefits, psychological benefits, and cognitive benefits, and it has 22 items. A five-choice Likert Scale range is used for valuation. Statistical analysis: Data was analyzed by SPSS 21 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. In order to check the normal distribution of data, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used. Spearman correlation coefficient test was used to check the relationship between variables. To investigate the effectiveness of variables, regression test and to prioritize variables, the Friedman test were used.
Findings by Text
131 veterans had a kind of physical activity during a week. However, 177 of them did not have any exercise during the week. Of the 131 participants, 51.9%, 13.7%, 31.2%, and 3.2% were exercising regularly, irregularly, in form of regular team, and in form of irregular team respectively. The mean scores of veterans in each of items related to barriers and benefits of sport participation are presented in Table 1. There was a positive and significant correlation between all dimensions of the barriers to sport participation including financial barriers and facilities (r=0. 37), personal barriers (r=0.44), family barriers (r=0.50), and social barriers (r=0.22) and lack of sport participation (p<0.05). Also, there was a positive and significant correlation between all dimension of benefits of sport participation including mental benefits (r=0.66), social benefits (r=0.48), biological benefits (r=0.55), and cognitive benefits (r=0.61) and sport participation (p<0.01). In total, barrier variables explained 29% of the variance of lack of veterans` participation and the benefit variable explained 33% of sport participation (p=0.001). Among the benefits of participation, mental benefits, biological benefits, social benefits, and cognitive benefits with the mean rank of 3.23, 3.02, 2.36, and 2.09 had the highest to the lowest impact on participation in sport activities respectively. Also, among the barriers to non-participation, financial and facilities barriers, personal barriers, family barriers, and social barriers with mean rank of 3.98, 3.11, 2.61, and 2.18 ranged from the highest to the least effective factors on the non-participation of veterans in exercise activities (p=0.001). Discussion: Based on the results of Spearman Correlation Test, there was a significant and positive correlation between the variable of financial and facilities barriers and non-participation in physical activities, that is, with increasing financial and facilities barriers, the lack of sport participation was also increased. This finding is consistent with the results of research by Ashrafi et al. [10], Aghai and Fatahian [11], Viker et al. [12], Voggen [13], and Sirley and Jackson [14]. According to the results of Spearman's correlation test, there was a significant relationship between personal barriers and non-participation in sport, that is, with increasing personal barriers, the lack of sport participation was also increased. This conclusion is consisted with the results of Zare et al. [16], Salahshouri et al. [17], Ashrafi et al. [10], Ghodsi et al. [18], Aghai and Fattahian [11], Rita Saini [19], Don et al. [20], and Jackson [21]. The results of statistical test showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between family barriers and non-attendance of veterans, that is, with increasing family barriers, the lack of sport participation was also increased. These findings are in line with the results of research by Aghaee and Fatahian [11], Naderian and Hashemi [22], Mirghafouri et al. [5], and Vogon [13]. The results of statistical analysis showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between social barriers and non-attendance of veterans, that is, with increasing social barriers, the lack of sport participation was also increased. These results are consistent with the findings of Ashrafi et al. [10], Ghodsi et al. [18], Aghai and Fatahian [11], Naderian and Hashemi [22], Mirghafouri [5], James et al. [23], and Arab Moghadam et al. [24]. The results of statistical test showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the psychological benefits and the participation of veterans, that is, with the increase of the psychological benefits, sport participation was also increased. This finding is in line with the results of researches by Hemayat Talab et al. [7], Tofighi et al. [25], Bakhshayesh et al. [26], Pooladi Rayshahri et al. [27], Conchtl [28], Wang et al. [29], and Momeri et al. [30] because the results of these researchers also confirm the positive and significant correlation between psychological benefits and participation in motor and sport activities. The results of statistical analysis showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between social benefits and the participation of veterans, that is, with the increase of social benefits, the sport participation is also increased. This finding is consistent with the findings of Hemayat Talab et al. [7], Hatami et al. [8], Poorsoltani [4], Sheffard [31], and Wilmene et al. [32]. The results of the statistical test showed that there is positive and significant relationship between the biological benefits and the participation of veterans, that is, with the increase of the biological benefits, the sport participation also increases. These results are in line with the results of Hemayat Talab [2], Tofighi et al. [25], Kiani et al. [9], Hatami et al. [8], Conchtl [28], Sheffard [31], and William et al. [32]. Tofighi et al. [25] in a study titled “The Effect of Aerobic Exercise on The General Health Index of Passive Veterans” stated that there was a significant difference in general health between the control and experimental groups. There was a positive and significant relationship between biological and physical benefits and the participation rate. The results of the statistical test showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the cognitive benefits and the veterans’ participation, that is, with the increase of cognitive interests, sport participation also increases. These results are consistent with the findings of Hemayat Talab et al. [7], Kiani et al. [9], Hatami et al. [8], Bakhshayesh et al. [26], Wogen [13], Mumery et al. [30], and Sheffard [31]. In this regard, Hemayat et al. [7] in a research entitled “Identifying, Categorizing, and Prioritizing the Factors Affecting the Participation of Youth in Tehran through Group Hierarchy Method” acknowledged that there is a significant relationship between cognitive interests and the amount of sport participation. Among the limitations of this research, being cross-sectional, being veterans of only Ardabil province and lack of its generalization to other societies, difference in veterans' socio-cultural and ethnic issues, and lack of cooperation of some samples to distribute and collect of the questionnaire can be mentioned. Based on the results of this study, managers are required to combine collections of factors, such as economic, social, and cultural factors (such as monthly income, social constraints, customs, traditions, organizational support, and facilities) that are involved in sport participation.
Main comparison to the similar studies

Suggestions

Limitations

Conclusions
By increasing the benefits of sport participation, especially psychological benefits, and by removing barriers to participation, especially financial barriers and facilities, the participation of veterans in motor and sport activities increases.
Acknowledgments
All friends and loved ones who helped us in this research, as well as the board and trainers of veterans and disabled people in Ardabil province, as well as dear veterans of this province who devoted their valuable time to participate in this research are appreciated. Ethical confirmation: The information about individuals was kept confidential and subjects who were interested in receiving the results of study were informed by email of these results.
Conflict of interest
There is no conflict of interests.
Ethical Permissions

Funding Sources
The financial sources of this research has been provided by the authors.

TABLES and CHARTS

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