The effects of special sports games program on physical fitness in adolescents with intellectual disability

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the influence of the experimental program on improving physical fitness in adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). For the needs of a dual prospective study of the cohort, 122 adolescents aged 13 to 17 with mild ID were recruited and then divided into two groups, experimental (EG) and control (CG). The EG was subjected to a special program of sports games (SSGP) lasting 12 weeks, four times a week, with 30-minute duration of each session. CG was subjected to the program of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (MP), with the same duration, weekly frequency and session duration, with one session per week being the time of the selected sport. The data for 30 adolescents within EG and CG were collected for further analysis, respectively. Physical fitness of the respondents was tested using the Eurofit fitness test battery: standing long jump (SLJ), single-arm ball pushing (SABP), sit-ups (SUP), 25-meter run (R25), seated forward bend (SFB), bench walking (BW1), and narrow bench walking (BW2). SSGP led to statistically significant improvements in EG concerning arm's explosive strength, local muscular endurance, speed and flexibility of the hip. The results of ANOVA and MANOVA indicated that after the implementation of SSGP, there was a statistically significant positive difference in favor of EG compared to CG. It can be concluded that the SSGP contributed with a greater extent to the development of physical fitness than MP in adolescents with ID.

Interventions for Health Promotion and Obesity Prevention for Children and Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities: a Systematic Review

“…clear boundary markings to help children know where they may and may not go) and visual schedules and work systems (e.g. board with pictures and words to describe the routine and the daily aquatic activity) CO: Received the intervention after a waiting period TX and CO: 70 min sessions 2×/wk 14 wks Indoor hydrotherapy and swimming pool TX and CO: Trained instructors Pre intervention, immediately post 14-wk intervention, 14 wks after completing intervention BMI NS differences b/w TX and CO children immediately post and 14-wks post-intervention NR Adequate Body Fat (bioelectrical impedance) NS differences b/w TX and CO children immediately post and 14-wks post-intervention NR Cardiovascular Fitness - PACER test NS differences b/w TX and CO children immediately post and 14-wks post-intervention NR Pejčić et al, 2019 Quasi n=122 children, 60 analyzed 13-17 yrs, M=14.9 Gender: NR Race/Ethnicity: NR Primary diagnosis: mild ID TX: ‘Special Sports’ physical fitness program beginning with warm-up and muscle-strengthening exercises followed by 10 repetitions of 2 or > technical elements of football (controlling the ball, shooting at goal and passing the ball) and basketball (controlling the ball, catching the ball, passing the ball and shooting baskets) and ending with muscle relaxation. CO: Regular program of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia TX: 30 min sessions 4×/wk 12 wks CO: As above with 1 session/wk dedicated to the selected sport and a 45-min swimming session/wk School TX and CO: PE teachers Pre and post 12-wk intervention Cardiorespiratory Fitness – 25-meter run, time Significant difference in favor of TX (p=.014) on adjusted analyses Medium to Large** Weak Ptomey et al, 2015 RCT n=20 children and parents 11-18 yrs, M=14.9 yrs 55% Male; 45% Female Race/Ethnicity: 70% White, 20% Black, 5% Asian, 5% Other Primary diagnosis: ID with secondary diagnoses including ASD and Down Syndrome Parents: 48.1 yrs, 95% female, >HS education TX: Enhanced Stop Light Diet with addition of fruits and vegetables (>=5 servings/day) and high-volume, low-energy portion-controlled meals (PCMs) consisting of two entrées and two shakes per day.…”

“…Three studies addressed physical activity through training in specific sports skills. Target sports included football and basketball (Pejčić et al, 2019 ), basketball (Kocić et al, 2017 ), and bike riding (Ulrich et al, 2011 ). Interventions in this category focused on training participants in technical elements of the selected sport(s) such as ball control, ball passing, ball catching, shooting goals and baskets, self-launching, braking, and turning a bike.…”

“…Intervention settings were reported in two studies. Of these, one intervention was school-based and delivered by school Physical Education (PE) teachers (Pejčić et al, 2019 ) and the other was offered by staff at a local community center (Ulrich et al, 2011 ). All three sports-based interventions were delivered in-person and focused exclusively on children and adolescents with DD without parent, sibling, or peer involvement.…”

“…All three sports-based interventions were delivered in-person and focused exclusively on children and adolescents with DD without parent, sibling, or peer involvement. Interventions involving ball sports were conducted in group format during 25- to 35-min sessions occurring four times per week and over a period of 8–12 weeks (Kocić et al, 2017 ; Pejčić et al, 2019 ). The bike riding intervention was conducted one-on-one over a 1-week period involving five consecutive sessions of 75 min each.…”

“…Two (Kocić et al, 2017 ; Pejčić et al, 2019 ) of the three sports-based physical activity programs examined cardiovascular outcomes. Both studies found significant improvements in performance of physical fitness tests among children who received adapted football and/or basketball training compared with children receiving typical programming.…”