Exploring opportunities available and perceived barriers to physical activity engagement in children and young people with Down syndrome

Abstract

Primary objective: The aim of this study was to explore physical activity amongst children and young people with Down syndrome. Method and procedures:The Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model (YPAP) (Welk 1999) was used to inform semi-structured interviews to explore physical activity of children and young people with Down syndrome.Participants were 3 males and 5 females, aged between 6 and 21 years (16.38 + 5.04 years (mean + SD)) who had been diagnosed with the condition Down syndrome. Dyadic interviews were conducted with the participant and their parent(s). The interviews were recorded, transcribed and inductive and deductive analyses of the data were completed. Main outcomes and results:The results were structure around the YPAP Model's (Welk 1999) key themes included; enabling factors (seasonal variation, transport, type of activity, independence); predisposing factors (enjoyment, social interaction, dislikes of PA, following instructions, 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 Down syndrome in the study typically only engaged in fun, unstructured activities. Key facilitators for physical activity participation were social interactions and parental support. Increasing the level of independence for people with Down syndrome within adolescence may have beneficial effects for physical activity participation in later life. 2 IntroductionDown syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability (ID) (Mahy et al. 2010). The Down Syndrome Association (2012) recorded that approximately 750 children are born with Down syndrome (DS) each year in the UK. DS is associated with various chronic health problems, including Alzheimer disease, obesity, congenital heart defects, low cardiovascular fitness, sight and hearing problems (NHS 2010), decreased muscle strength, muscle hypotonicity and joint hypermobility, (Croce et al. 1996). People with DS tend to be shorter in height and heavier in weight than people without DS. Many people with DS are susceptible to conditions that could increase the risk of weight gain such as an under active thyroid gland and having a lower basal metabolic rate compared to that of the general population (Down Syndrome Association 2002).This propensity for gaining weight in combination with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in children with Down syndrome highlights the need for effective interventions to promote healthy body mass and physical fitness for this population. Physical activity (PA) is an important health behaviour and positively contributes to the management and prevention of more than 20 chronic diseases and conditions (Department of health 2005; Chief Medical Officer 2011). PA promotes energy expenditure in children and is often targeted when attempting to prevent or treat obesity. Furthermore, cardiorespiratory fitness, an independent determinant of health and in particular cardio-metabolic ...

Physical activity and play behaviours in children and young people with intellectual disabilities: A cross-sectional observational study

“…Recess provides a daily opportunity for discretionary PA in a safe, supervised environment. This is perhaps even more important for this population, where many barriers are perceived to exist to PA engagement outside the school environment (Downs et al, 2013;Downs et al, 2014). Participants within this study engaged in small group activities at generally low PA intensities.…”

“…Recent, formative, qualitative studies have suggested that opportunities for children and young people with ID are limited outside the school setting in the UK (Downs, Boddy, Knowles, Fairclough, & Stratton, 2013;Downs et al, 2014), and that schools represent the most accessible opportunity for children and young people with ID to be physically active.…”

Investigating Parental Beliefs Concerning Facilitators and Barriers to the Physical Activity in Down Syndrome and Typical Development

“…This result is consistent with previous research, which demonstrated how parents deliver emotional/motivational and economic support. These are necessary to face challenging tasks as well as the transportation and the costs of activities (Badia et al, 2011;Downs et al, 2013;Mahy et al, 2010;Shikako-Thomas, Shevell, & Schmitz, 2013). The costs of sports programs, the equipment, and the transportation are expensive and rely on family available economical resourcess (Cordes & Howard, 2005;Van Naarden Braun, Yeargin-Allsopp, & Lollar, 2006).…”

“…Indirect influence is played by personal demographics, such as age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Recently, an adapted model of the YPAP was developed by Downs, Boddy, Knowles, Fairclough, and Stratton (2013). It included enabling, predisposing, and reinforcing factors to PA for children with DS.…”

“…So, as for children with intellectual disability, three main category factors influence the engagement in PA: individual, familiar, and environmental variables (Downs et al, 2013;Mahy, Shields, Taylor, & Dodd, 2010). Individual characteristics include age, gender, the level of sport motivation, motor and cognitive abilities, and the kind and the severity of disability.…”