Results From Spain’s 2022 Para Report Cards on Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents With Disabilities

Abstract

This report aims to provide a better understanding of physical activity (PA) and related factors among Spanish children and adolescents living with disabilities. The 10 indicators used for the Global Matrix on Para Report Cards of children and adolescents living with disabilities were evaluated based on the best available data in Spain. An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats based on data provision was drafted by three experts and critically reviewed by the authorship team to provide a national perspective for each evaluated indicator. Government was the indicator with the highest grade (C+), followed by Sedentary Behaviors (C−), School (D), Overall PA (D−), and Community & Environment (F). The remaining indicators received an incomplete grade. There were low levels of PA in Spanish children and adolescents living with disabilities. Yet, opportunities to improve the current surveillance of PA among this population exist.

Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents With Disabilities

“…The physical environment benchmarks mainly reflected perceived neighborhood safety. Some data used to assign grades were not disaggregated by disability status as it was assumed that CAWD live in the same neighborhoods as the general population (López-Gil et al, 2023). Some countries opted to grade this indicator as INC when there were insufficient data on accessibility of environments for CAWD to engage in PA (Arbour-Nicitopoulos et al, 2022;Stanish et al, 2023).…”

“…Since 24-hr movement behaviors cover the whole day (i.e., 24-hr period), PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep are codependent and should be examined simultaneously (Dumuid et al, 2018). Additional behavioral monitoring of sleep would improve our understanding of the extent to which 24-hr movement guidelines are met by CAWD, and this was possible for only three Para Report Cards (Arbour-Nicitopoulos et al, 2022;Lee et al, 2022;López-Gil et al, 2023). Some international research exists on 24-hr movement of CAWD (Li et al, 2022), and further inclusion within future Para Report Cards may lead to improved global efforts to improve PA.…”