A Scoping Review on Para Judo

This scoping review aimed to summarize the literature on Para judo comprehensively. A systematic search on WOS, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus was carried out up to July 2022, combining the key words judo and visual impairment, visual disability, visual deficiency, visually handicapped, low vision, sight loss, blind, disability, deficiency, and Paralympic. The research question was focused on athletes with visual impairment who practiced judo at a competitive level. The following five methodological phases were followed: (1) identifying the research question, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) study selection, (4) charting the data, and (5) collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. A total of 44 studies were analyzed. Three lines of research emerged: physical fitness (n = 18), performance and/or sport class (n = 15), and physical and mental health (n = 11). Findings indicated that judokas with visual impairment showed a similar fitness level to able-sighted judokas. In addition, it was observed that Para judo shows a considerable injury incidence, which is not influenced by the degree of visual impairment. The temporal structure of the combats, together with the studies focused on the optimal cutoff points between sports classes, confirmed the appropriateness of the recent changes in the regulations by which partially sighted judokas and functional blind judokas compete separately.

Automated summary

This scoping review comprehensively summarizes the literature on Para judo. The review identifies three research lines: physical fitness, performance and/or sport class, and physical and mental health. The findings indicate that visually impaired judokas have a similar fitness level to able-sighted judokas and that Para judo has a considerable injury incidence independent of the degree of visual impairment. The review also confirms the appropriateness of recent rule changes that separate partially sighted judokas and functionally blind judokas in competition.