The Relationship Between Impulsivity, Cognitive Consequences, and the Severity of Sports Injuries Among Iraqi Swimmers
Keywords:
Impulsivity, Swimmers, Sports Injuries, Cognitive consequences, Injury Prevention, Athletic PerformanceAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between impulsivity, Cognitive consequences of sports injuries, and the severity of sports injuries among Iraqi swimmers.
Methods and Materials: This applied, quantitative, descriptive-survey study was conducted among competitive swimmers in Iraq. The statistical population consisted of Iraqi swimmers, from whom 129 participants were selected using purposive and convenience sampling methods based on the sample size estimated through G*Power software. Data were collected using the Cognitive consequences of Sports Injuries Questionnaire developed by Rokan Hassan et al. (2022) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (1994). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and study variables. Inferential analyses were performed using Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression analyses in SPSS version 23. All statistical tests were conducted at a significance level of 0.05.
Findings: The results demonstrated significant negative relationships between all dimensions of Cognitive consequences of sports injuries and swimmers’ impulsivity levels (p < .001). Greater awareness and understanding of the Cognitive consequences associated with sports injuries were linked to lower levels of impulsive behavior among athletes. Regarding the relationship between impulsivity dimensions and sports injuries, cognitive impulsivity was not significantly associated with injury occurrence or severity (p = .677). However, a significant positive relationship was found between non-planning impulsivity and sports injuries (p = .004), indicating that swimmers who exhibited poorer planning tendencies experienced higher injury rates. Furthermore, motor impulsivity showed a significant positive association with sports injuries (p = .050), suggesting that athletes with greater tendencies toward acting without sufficient control were more likely to sustain injuries. Overall, the findings highlight the predictive role of specific impulsivity dimensions in sports injury occurrence among swimmers.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that cognitive awareness regarding the consequences of sports injuries and lower levels of impulsive behavior are associated with a reduced likelihood of injury among swimmers. In particular, non-planning and motor impulsivity appear to be important risk factors for sports injuries, whereas cognitive impulsivity does not significantly contribute to injury occurrence.
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