Editorial

1The term adapted physical activity (APA) was first used in Québec in the 1970s to define an alternative to physical education for people with “special needs”. The aims of APA are to improve the physical fitness quality of life and social inclusion of those with limiting conditions, such as people with disabilities or impaired health, the elderly and the socially excluded. Specifically designed physical activity programs can therefore be prescribed for purposes of prevention, rehabilitation, education and/or integration.

2Under the leadership of Clermont Simard in Quebec and Jean-Claude De Potter in Belgium, who were the first two presidents of the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA), the field of APA began to develop in universities and was introduced to Europe in the early 1980s. Since then, APA curricula have been constructed in French universities, mainly through their Schools of Sport Sciences (UFR-STAPS), and today APA degrees are offered on more than 35 university campuses. This growth has facilitated the recruitment of qualified APA instructors by a wide range of institutions and associations promoting APA programs for special needs individuals. A professional with a Bachelor’s degree in APA can lead physical activity sessions in a variety of sectors of intervention, such as hospitals, specialized centers, non-profit organizations, sports federations and even court-appointed programs. European-level degrees and Master’s degree programs also now prepare professionals to implement and manage APA programs and projects. In parallel, a new field of research is gradually emerging in UFR-STAPS laboratories to bridge the gap between academic research in APA and its practical applications in these various areas of intervention. The research addresses two main priorities : making APA an evidence-based discipline and establishing relevant benchmarks for practical implementation in the field. Thus, for over 30 years, this dialogue between APA researchers and practitioners has been growing exponentially, in large part due to the training and investigations conducted by the UFR-STAPS, and today adapted responses can be offered to address a range of public health problems, as well as the specific requirements of hospitals and specialized institutes. The 16th Conference on APA Training and Research, which was held at the UFR-STAPS of Orsay from March 29 to March 31, 2012, contributed to this objective through its central theme : “Training and research in APA : which issues for which populations?” The main focus of the conference was to present the current research in APA conducted by STAPS laboratory researchers in collaboration with the APA instructors associated with these research teams. Seven internationally renowned speakers in the field of APA and 37 other speakers presented their work, providing both new insights from rich data sets in the life sciences, humanities and social sciences and further evidence of the benefits of physical activity and exercise for target populations. This special issue includes 12 contributions selected by the scientific committee, which comprised 24 experts from various disciplines. We thank them for having completed this laborious task of evaluating research articles in such a timely and serious manner.

3The first ten contributions cover clinical orientations and review some of the major issues in APA today with regard to its role in improving health and performance in specific populations. A heterogeneous population is at the heart of these contributions, although people with motor disabilities are prominent ; the range includes hemiplegic patients (Slawinski et al.), chronic low back pain patients (Durocher et al.), patients with spinal cord injury (Middernacht), lower limb amputees (Demets et al.), disabled athletes (Lepers et al.), anorexic patients (Moscone et al.), diabetic patients (Mendelson et al.), individuals with Down Syndrome (Leti et al.), patients presenting bruxism (Bernard et al.), and those with generally poor health (Lecocq & Dervaux). These contributions are of major interest for practitioners because they bring new insights that can be incorporated into their programming to better adapt conditions to the capabilities and needs of the target populations and to better adjust the intensity and quantity of the targeted exercises. The last two contributions present a sociological approach, with the main objective of giving voice to patients in order to identify the role and impact of APA programs in their therapeutic management. The first examines the meaning and value of an APA program for HIV patients, who often feel vulnerable because of the visibility of this pathology (Thomas et al.). The second highlights the use of sport as part of the process of adjusting to disease, which is explored in patients with cystic fibrosis (Fuchs et al.). We hope that this special issue will testify to the growing importance of APA research within the STAPS community, first, by giving readers an overview of the studies recently conducted in France in this field and, second, by encouraging young researchers and STAPS laboratories to continue APA research.

4Acknowledgement. The organization of the 16th Conference on APA Training and Research would not have been possible without the support of our financial partners (Université Paris-Sud, Ile de France, Banque Populaire, Cape Vital Santé) and our institutional and local partners (Comité Départemental Handisport 91, Comité Départemental Sport Adapté 91, Idema Sport, SFP-APA, MixHandi-Capsur la Vie, Mission Handicap, Service Central Handicap et Etudes, CESFO, Centre Urban Foot). We thank them for their commitment to this scientific event.