Adapted Physical Activity, Social Inclusion, and Community Health: New Directions in Welfare, Participation, and Equity

Dear Colleagues, 

Adapted physical activity and adapted sport are increasingly recognized as key drivers of social inclusion, community participation, and long-term well-being for individuals living with chronic conditions or disabilities. Beyond their clinical relevance, these practices contribute to reducing social isolation, strengthening community cohesion, and promoting active citizenship across the life course. 

This Special Issue explores adapted exercise and adapted sport as social practices and community resources capable of transforming welfare systems, promoting participatory inclusion, and reducing inequalities in access to health-promoting environments. By examining how institutions, local communities, families, and professionals co-produce supportive ecosystems, the Special Issue aims to deepen the understanding of how adapted physical activity can foster empowerment, social integration, and equitable opportunities for health. 

We invite contributions addressing the social, cultural, political, and organizational dimensions of adapted physical activity, bridging research in sociology, social policy, disability studies, education, sport sciences, and community health. 

Topics: 

• Adapted physical activity as a tool for social inclusion and participation; 
• Community-based models of adapted exercise and welfare innovation; 
• Experiences of disabled people, chronic patients, and older adults in accessing adapted physical activity; 
• Social inequalities and barriers to participation; 
• Family, school, and community support systems; 
• Community health, empowerment, and social capital; 
• Local governance models (municipalities, community organisations, associations); 
• Co-production of services and participatory models; 
• Adapted sport and inclusion in schools and community settings;
• Lived experiences, qualitative research, ethnographies; 
• Policy frameworks for reducing disparities in community access to adapted activity;
• The role of professionals (e.g., kinesiologists) in community health and inclusion. 

Rationale: 

This Special Issue expands the sociological and social-policy understanding of adapted physical activity by moving beyond biomedical interpretations. It positions adapted exercise and adapted sport as social practices linked to empowerment, community welfare, participatory citizenship, and reduction in inequalities. 

The Special Issue encourages interdisciplinary dialogue among sociologists, disability scholars, community-health researchers, educators, social policymakers, and practitioners. Its ultimate goal is to identify new pathways for building inclusive, community-centered environments where adapted physical activity becomes accessible, meaningful, and socially transformative. 

Contributions have to follow one of the three categories of papers (article, conceptual paper or review) of the journal and address the topic of the Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Gianpiero Greco
Prof. Dr. Francesco Fischetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• adapted physical activity
• adapted sport
• social inclusion
• community health
• disability and participation
• welfare systems
• health inequalities
• community-based interventions
• co-production and social innovation
• kinesiologists and professional roles
• empowerment and active citizenship
• inclusive environments
• social policy and governance