The Effect of Hopping Trainings on the Static and Dynamic Balance of Iraqi Deaf Athletes: A Semi-experimental Study
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Date
2025-04-30
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Publisher
Brieflands
Abstract
Background: Deafness is recognized as the most common sensory-neural defect. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of hopping training on the static and dynamic balance of Iraqi deaf athletes. Methods: The current research was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included deaf male athletes aged 15 to 25 in Baghdad, Iraq. Fifty deaf athletes were purposefully selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Static and dynamic balance were evaluated using the stork test and the Y balance measuring device, respectively. The experimental group underwent an eight-week hopping training program (three sessions per week, each lasting one hour). Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and covariance analysis at a significance level of 0.05, using SPSS version 25. Results: The findings revealed that eight weeks of hopping training significantly improved static balance (F = 40.58, P = 0.001, η² = 0.46), dynamic balance in the anterior direction (F = 44.60, P = 0.001, η² = 0.48), posterior-external direction (F = 36.88, P = 0.007, η² = 0.42), posterior-internal direction (F = 39.50, P = 0.004, η² = 0.43), and the total balance score (F = 42.60, P = 0.001, η² = 0.45). No significant differences were observed in the control group following the intervention. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that an eight-week program of hopping training can enhance both static and dynamic balance performance in deaf athletes. It is recommended to incorporate this type of intervention as an effective alternative for balance training, especially in settings with limited facilities for individuals with hearing impairments.