The international demand for inclusion also applies to sport (Hölter 2014). Article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD) calls for the equal participation of people with disabilities in sport. This is an important concern because people with disabilities are less physically active than people without disabilities (Albrecht, Elmose-Østerlund, Klenk & Nagel 2019) and therefore benefit less of the positive effects of sporting activity (e.g. promoting health, social inclusion) as people without disabilities. For people with disabilities sport can also have negative effects. This is particularly the case when it takes place in integrative settings and the focus is on performance. Sport can then lead to discrimination, prejudice, conflict, and social exclusion (Klenk, Albrecht & Nagel 2019).

Experiences made in sport, be they positive or negative shape the personality and have an influence on the self-concept. Despite intensive research efforts, there are still many ambiguities in this regard. Various studies report a positive effect of physical activity on self-concept (Hänsel & Ennigkeit 2019). Other studies describe none or unexpected results (Hänsel 2012). It is confirmed that there is a weak to moderate relationship between physical activity and the sub-dimension of the physical self-concept (Hänsel & Ennigkeit 2019). The direction of action is reciprocal (Hänsel 2012).

Research results are still largely lacking regarding children with intellectual disabilities (Bahn & Klein 2017). The few existing research results on the self-concept of children with intellectual disabilities are contradicting (Hoppe 2012). It is often assumed that children with intellectual disabilities have an inflated general self-concept, while the expressions in the sub-dimensions of the self-concept (e.g. physical ability self-concept) are lower than in children without disabilities (Schuppener 2005). Some researchers assume that children with intellectual disabilities cannot assess the general self-concept or they even deny children with intellectual disabilities the ability to consciously deal with the self-concept (Hoppe 2012). There are various methodological challenges, in particular the question of the extent to which quantitative questionnaires in this area are suitable for children with intellectual disabilities (Schuppener 2005).

The present paper deals with this research desideratum. It presents the results of an investigation into the self-concept and the importance of sporting leisure activities on the self-concept of children with intellectual disabilities. The focus is on the following questions:

1. Can the general self-concept and the physical ability self-concept be measured comparably with the help of established questionnaire scales in children with and without intellectual disabilities?
2. How is the general self-concept and the physical ability self-concept of children with and without intellectual disabilities and are there differences in the expressions in both groups?
3. What connections exist between the general self-concept, the physical ability self-concept, and the sporting leisure activity of children with and without intellectual disabilities?

Theoretically, on the one hand, reference is made to the self-concept model by Shavelson, Hubner and Stanton (1976), which is often used in self-concept research. It is characterized by its hierarchical and multi-dimensional structure, at the top of which is the general self-concept. Various sub-dimensions (e.g. physical self-concept) are subordinate to this. On the other hand, the Exercice and Self-Esteem-Model (EXSEM) from Sonstroem and Morgan (1989) is used. It is used to explain how physical activity affects self-concept (Hansel 2019).

The evaluations in this paper are based on data of the Swiss National Foundation project “Social Participation in Sport” (SoPariS). The sample includes 126 integrated children with intellectual disabilities and 1684 children without intellectual disabilities who were between 8 and 14 years old at the time of the survey.

The questions are answered by analyzing structural equation models (SEM). This analytical approach allows the investigation of theoretically well-founded models in that relationships between constructs can be investigated (Werner, Schermelleh-Engel, Gerhard & Gäde 2016). The model presented here is about the simultaneous modeling of several relationships. In the context of the structural model, it is assumed that the physical ability self-concept explains part of the general self-concept. In addition, it is assumed that there is a statistical connection between the physical ability self-concept and the sporting activities. The general self-concept is operationalized using a scale that has already been used successfully in various studies (e.g. Paderborn Children's Study) (Brettschneider & Gerlach 2004; Gerlach 2008). It includes four items (e.g. I like myself for who I am). The physical ability self-concept is measured using the “Perceived Competence Scale for Children” (Harter 1985, 1988). It makes statements about the general skills children attribute themselves to in sport and includes four items (e.g. I am very good at sport). The sporting leisure activity is operationalized using two items that make statements about the sporting leisure activities of children (e.g. how often do you do sport in your spare time?). The models for children with and without intellectual disabilities are compared using a multi-group causal analysis (MGCA). This is regarded as the standard instrument for examining group differences and effective relationships in structural equation models (Weiber & Mühlhaus 2014). The software SPSS (version 26.0.0.0) and the software Amos (version 26.0.0) are used for the analyzes.

The results show that the measurement models used in the structural model are comparable in both groups and that the operationalizations carried out are suitable for both groups to measure the constructs. This results in satisfactory values for both groups with regard to the quality test (e.g. children with intellectual disabilities: α = .75; children without intellectual disabilities: α = .82). The same applies to the test for equivalence of the measurement models and the MGCA, since the model fit values in both cases are above respectively below the required limit values. The characteristics of the measured constructs correspond to the theoretical expectations. Compared with the mean values for children without intellectual disabilities, children with intellectual disabilities are statistically significantly less active in sport, have a higher general self-concept and a lower physical ability self-concept as children without disabilities. The correlation between sporting activity and the physical ability self-concept is comparable for both groups (children with intellectual disabilities: r = .496 / children without intellectual disabilities: r = .531). The effect of the physical ability self-concept on the general self-concept is somewhat lower for children with intellectual disabilities than for children without intellectual disabilities. The differences regarding the interaction between the sporting leisure activity and the physical ability self-concept as well as regarding the effect of the physical ability self-concept on the general self-concept are not statistically significant. The results make it clear that it is important to support the range of sporting activities for children with intellectual disabilities. At the same time, sports activities should be designed in such a way that they enable children with intellectual disabilities to experience success. This requires didactically well-staged and attractive sports offers, in which everyone involved can contribute their individual skills and contribute to the common sports experience.

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