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THE EFFECTS OF GROUP-BASED EXERCISE ON PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PARTICIPATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

Individuals with intellectual disabilities experience barriers for optimal physical health and participation. According to Schroeder et al. (2020), those with intellectual disabilities have an increased prevalence of obesity and hypertension as well as increased cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in those diagnosed with intellectual disability (Draheim, 2006; Patja et al., 2001), and this population shows a higher prevalence in two of the major risk factors related to cardiovascular disease: obesity and hypertension (Schroeder et al., 2020). In addition to poor health outcomes, physical activity participation throughout the lifespan is reduced because of altered anatomical structure as well as physiological and psychological function, which leads to limitations in activity and participation in many lifestyle domains (Dean et al., 2016). PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a group-based exercise intervention on physical health and participation in individuals with developmental disabilities. METHODS: Pre and post assessments included health-related components of physical fitness as well as participation constraints to further examine the mismatch between the environmental context and the individual’s body structures and functions (Dean et al, 2016). Thirty individuals were randomly selected based on specific inclusion criteria to participate in the study with 15 subjects in a control group and the remaining 15 subjects in the intervention group. Participants selected were men and women aged 18-65 with a diagnosis of a developmental disability by their physician. Each subject was also a client of a local nonprofit organization that provides normalization and independent living skills for adults with developmental disabilities. A questionnaire assessing participation constraints as well as pre and post body composition measurements were implemented before and after an eight-week group-based exercise program in individuals with developmental disabilities. Specific body composition data assessed included measurements of weight, skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, body mass index, and percent of body fat. The questionnaire assessed factors related to community/organization, time, equipment, economic, intrapersonal, transport, and interpersonal constraints. RESULTS: A paired sample t-test demonstrated no significant differences in pre and post measures for weight, skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, body mass index, and percent body fat in the control or intervention groups. While there was a strong correlation between pre and post values for each variable, point estimate values indicated a small effect size within the control and intervention groups. However, a paired sample t-test demonstrated a significant difference in community/organization constraints, intrinsic constraints, and interpersonal constraints in the intervention group. In the community/organization constraint, the mean constraint scores decreased from 2.6015 to 1.3309, t (14) =4.593, p< 0.001, d=1.186. In the intrapersonal constraint dimension, mean test scores decreased from 2.1905 to 1.6162, t (14)=2.994, p=0.010, d=0.773. The interpersonal constraint dimension means scores decreased from 2.9111to 1.6444, t (14)=3.612, p=0.003, d=0.933. The large effect sizes indicated that the intervention had a meaningful impact on these areas. CONCLUSION: The lack of significant changes in the control group strengthen evidence that the observed improvements in the intervention group are due to the group-based exercise intervention itself.

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