Enhancing Quality of Life (QoL) of Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities in Amateur Swimming Clubs

Swimming training can enhance the Quality of Life (QoL) of children with disabilities. However, it is important to investigate how we can enhance the QoL of parents as well. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether swimming training of children in amateur sports clubs that are non-profit organizations can enhance their parents’ QoL. A survey was administered to a sample of 139 parents drawn from 19 amateur sports clubs in the Attica Region and Crete (Greece) using established scales. Results show that parents of children with developmental disabilities have statistically significantly lower QoL than parents with typically developed children. Also, there are statistically significant differences between children who train in swimming and those who do not for most dimensions analyzed. Implications are discussed.