Brazilian para-athletes: occupational roles over time

Abstract

Introduction: The engagement of individuals in meaningful occupations throughout life is fundamental. However, involvement in certain occupations may hinder performance in others that are equally important. A Paralympic career can generate great complexity in the lives of para-athletes, making it challenging to reconcile the routine of training and competitions with their other occupations, especially when it comes to para-athletes competing at the international level. Objective: The aim was to identify the athletic profile of the para-athlete and their participation in occupational roles over time. Method: This is an observational, descriptive study with Brazilian para-athletes. A questionnaire was used to characterize the sample and identify the athletic profile, as well as the Occupational Role Identification List. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used. Results: A total of 80 Brazilian para-athletes participated, from 5 Paralympic sport modalities, undergoing training in two Paralympic reference centers. It was observed that para-athletes experienced a decrease in performance in occupational roles when comparing the past and present, and they intend to return to or acquire new roles in the future. Conclusion: Some occupational roles with high levels of importance for para-athletes remain latent, making it extremely important to plan the career transition of these individuals so they can engage in new perspectives or resume meaningful occupations.