Search

Motor competence is important for lifelong physical activity (PA). The current study aimed to examine associations between PA and motor competence. In total, 43 children aged 7–12 years with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder completed anthropometric measures, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2, and wore a wrist accelerometer to capture total PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), average acceleration, and intensity gradient. No significant associations were found between PA outcomes and motor competence. Motor competence performance was commonly 'below average' or 'average'. The weakest subtests were upper limb coordination and strength. The strongest subtest was running speed and agility. Total weekly MVPA was 336.1 ± 150.3 min, higher than UK recommendations of 120-180 per week for disabled children and young people. Larger scale studies are needed to better understand the relationship between PA and motor competence. Future research should also consider the influence of environmental factors on PA in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the physical activity (PA) patterns of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID). PA was monitored for 7 days in 70 participants, 5-15 years old, using accelerometers. There were 32 participants included in the final analysis. Habitual PA and the number of continuous bouts accrued for a range of bout lengths (5-600 s) for light (LPA), moderate (MPA), and vigorous (VPA) PA were calculated. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to assess differences in the number of continuous bouts by sex, age, and ID group and between week and weekend days. Participants exhibited short sporadic bursts of activity. The number of continuous bouts decreased as the intensity and duration increased. Few differences in PA patterns were reported by sex, ID group, and age group and between week and weekend days, possibly due to the generally low PA levels in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to compare published group-level estimates of objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) across studies continues to increase in difficulty. The objective of this study was to develop conversion equations and demonstrate their utility to compare estimates of MVPA derived from the wrist and hip. Three studies of youth (N = 232, 9-12yrs, 50% boys) concurrently wore a hip-worn ActiGraph and a wrist-worn GENEActiv for 7-days. ActiGraph hip count data were reduced using four established cutpoints. Wrist accelerations were reduced using the Hildebrand MVPA 200 mg threshold. Conversion equations were developed on a randomly selected subsample of 132 youth. Equations were cross-validated and absolute error, absolute percent error, and modified Bland-Altman plots were evaluated for conversion accuracy. Across equations R2adj was 0.51-0.56 with individual-level absolute error in minutes ranging from 7 (wrist-to-hip Puyau) to 14.5 minutes (wrist-to-hip Freedson 3MET) and absolute percent differences ranging from 13.9%-24.5%. Group-level cross-validation to convert hip-to-wrist MVPA resulted in average absolute percent errors ranging from 3.1%-4.9%. Conversion of wrist-to-hip MVPA resulted in average absolute percent errors ranging from 3.0%-10.0%. We recommend the use of these equations to compare published estimates of MVPA between the wear-site cut-point combinations presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of physical activity and active play for children and young people are well established. However, there is a lack of physical activity research involving children and young people with intellectual disabilities. This study investigated habitual physical activity and recess play behaviour in 70 5- to 15-year-old participants with intellectual disabilities using objective methods (accelerometers) and systematic observation techniques. Results showed that few children were active enough to benefit their physical health (23% of the cohort). No differences in habitual physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or recess play behaviours were observed between boys and girls. Participants spent most of their recess time alone or playing in small groups, with no participants engaging in large group play. Older participants spent more recess time playing in small groups rather than playing alone and participants with Autistic Spectrum Disorder spent more time engaged in active pursuits and less time standing than non-Autism Spectrum Disorder participants. Positive correlations were observed between time spent alone and physical activity. These findings contrast with those typically observed in a mainstream school setting. In conclusion, interventions designed from formative research are needed to promote physical activity within this population. Implications for school psychologists are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim:To explore teacher’s perceptions of barriers and facilitators to physical activity (PA), including enabling, reinforcing and predisposing factors amongst children and young people (CYP) with intellectual disabilities (ID).Method and procedures:The Youth Physical Activity Promotion (YPAP) Model was used to inform semi-structured focus groups to explore PA of CYP with ID. Participants were 23 (9 male) teachers and teaching assistants, from three special educational needs (SEN) schools (1?=?Primary, 2?=?Secondary) within North West England. Three focus groups were held with between six and eight participants, audio and video recorded and data transcribed. Data were inductively and deductively analysed using Nvivo and represented through pen profiles.Results:Three pen profiles were developed and structured around YPAP Model to display themes within the data. Enabling factors (facilities (n?=?23) and activity type (n?=?39)); reinforcing factors (influences of peers (n?=?23), family (n?=?10) and teachers (n?=?19) to PA engagement); and predisposing factors (healthy lifestyle (n?=?15), enjoyment of PA (n?=?14), adaptations for PA (n?=?10), structured play (n?=?10), effects of disability on PA (n?=?8) and the CYPs attitudes towards PA (n?=?8)).Conclusion:CYP with ID enjoy engaging in PA, particularly activities that are of a fun and unstructured nature which allow for progression of skills and promote independence. Participants recognised that they, as teachers, had an influence on the CYP’s PA engagement, however suggested that parents have the most influential role. Similar to previous research, participants noted that CYP with ID had a lack of understanding as regards the importance of PA engagement and its benefits to health. It is suggested a strong home–school link for CYP within SEN schools could prove to be a key facilitator for active and healthy lifestyles education and choices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Primary objective: The aim of this study was to explore physical activity (PA) amongst children and young people with Down syndrome (DS).Method and procedures: The youth physical activity promotion model (YPAP) was used to inform semi-structured interviews to explore PA of children and young people with DS. Participants were three males and five females, aged between 6 and 21 years (16.38 + 5.04 years (mean + SD)) who had been diagnosed with the condition DS. Dyadic interviews were conducted with the participant and their parent(s). The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and inductive and deductive analyses of the data were completed.Main outcomes and results: The results were structured around the YPAP Model’s key themes included: enabling factors (seasonal variation, transport, type of activity and independence); predisposing factors (enjoyment, social interaction, dislikes of PA, following instructions, and understanding of PA); reinforcing factors (support and opportunities, parents, and care providers); and barriers to PA engagement (ear problems).Conclusion: The children and young people with DS in the study typically only engaged in fun, unstructured activities. Key facilitators for PA participation were social interactions and parental support. Increasing the level of independence for people with DS within adolescence may have beneficial effects for PA participation in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to provide a means for calibrating raw acceleration data from wrist-worn accelerometers in relation to past estimates of children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from a range of cut points applied to hip-worn ActiGraph data. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of three studies with concurrent 7-d accelerometer wear at the wrist (GENEActiv) and hip (ActiGraph) in 238 children age 9-12 yr. The time spent above acceleration (ENMO) thresholds of 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 mg from wrist acceleration data (≤5-s epoch) was calculated for comparison with MVPA estimated from widely used children's hip-worn ActiGraph MVPA cut points (Freedson/Trost, 1100 counts per minute; Pate, 1680 counts per minute; Evenson, 2296 counts per minute; Puyau, 3200 counts per minute) with epochs of ≤5, 15, and 60 s. Results: The optimal ENMO thresholds for alignment with MVPA estimates from ActiGraph cut points determined from 70% of the sample and cross validated with the remaining 30% were as follows: Freedson/Trost = ENMO 150+ mg, irrespective of ActiGraph epoch (intraclass correlation [ICC] ≥ 0.65); Pate = ENMO 200+ mg, irrespective of ActiGraph epoch (ICC ≥ 0.67); Evenson = ENMO 250+ mg for ≤5- and 15-s epochs (ICC ≥ 0.69) and ENMO 300+ mg for 60-s epochs (ICC = 0.73); Puyau = ENMO 300+ mg for ≤5-s epochs (ICC = 0.73), ENMO 350+ mg for 15-s epochs (ICC = 0.73), and ENMO 400+ mg for 60-s epochs (ICC = 0.65). Agreement was robust with cross-validation ICC = 0.62-0.71 and means within 7.8% ±4.9% of MVPA estimates from ActiGraph cut points, except Puyau 60-s epochs (ICC = 0.42). Conclusion: Incremental ENMO thresholds enable children's acceleration data measured at the wrist to be simply and directly compared, at a group level, with past estimates of MVPA from hip-worn ActiGraphs across a range of cut points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]