According to Sherrill's (2004) adapted physical activity model, “empowerment represents formal exit from adapted physical activity service delivery and personal assumption of responsibility for meeting one's exercise and leisure needs”. Empowerment can be process or outcomes from participation in physical activity. Therefore, empowerment is closely associated with self-actualization. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of participation in club sports on empowerment and self-actualization for Korean individuals with disabilities.
Method
A total of 186 (55 females and 131 males; Age mean=43.25) individuals with disabilities who regularly participated in sport clubs were purposely selected for this study. Based on the review of literature (Pensgaard & Sorensen, 2002; Sherrill, 2004; Winnick, 2004), question items were developed and constructed for this study, consisting of question items for (a) participation in club sports (4 items), (b) empowerment (personal-, organizational-, and social-level; 23 items), and (c) self-actualization (5 items) using a 5-Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 strongly agree).
Analysis/Results
Based on results from preliminary EFA and CFA, eight items from empowerment factor were deleted. Internal consistency reliabilities using Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from .86 to .94; participation in club sports (.95), empowerment (personal level =.93; organizational-level = .91; social-level = .86), and self-actualization (.85). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed a relatively high adequate fit of the hypothesized model of participation, empowerment, and self-actualization to the data, Normed χ2 =1.95, GFI=.87, NFI=.88, TLI=.92, CFI=.93, and RESEA=.07. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis found a relatively adequate fit of the model to the data; Normed χ2 =2.07, GFI=.91, NFI=.93, TLI=.95, CFI=.97, and RESEA=.07. Based on the results of the structural equation model analysis, the path coefficients () were examined to determine causal effects between factors. Participation in club sports had positive effects on personal-level (ß =.53, t=6.55, p <.001), organizational-level (ß =.37, t=4.55, p <.001), and social-level (ß =.39, t=5.01, p <.001). Both personal (ß =.37, t=5.41, p <.001) and social level (ß =.67, t=8.07, p <.001) of empowerment were found positive effect on self-actualization. The organizational-level of empowerment showed no statistically significant effect on self-actualization. Last, the causal effects of participation on empowerment (ß =.50, t=6.47, p <.001) and empowerment on self-actualization (ß =.94, t=9.65, p <.001) were found.
Conclusions
The study concluded that individuals with disabilities who participated in physical activities (e.g., club sports) could experience and develop their empowerment which was positively associated with increased self-actualization.
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