Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Physical activity engagement in young people with Down syndrome: Investigating parental beliefs.
Journal Name
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities
Journal Volume
30
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
71-83
DOI
10.1111/jar.12220
Summary
Physical activity may serve as a helpful avenue to promote physical and emotional well-being in individuals with Down syndrome. This study, conducted in Italy, sought to explore parents' perspectives of children (7-27 years) with Down syndrome engagement in physical activity. Findings revealed when physical activity was available and targeted to specific needs, parents saw improvements in their child's physical and emotional health.
Key Findings
Parents indicated team sports helped their child build social skills and develop a positive self-image.
A child's regular physical activity was dependent upon family involvement (i.e., bringing child to sport, role modeling) and community resources (i.e., specialty equipment, gyms).
Parents shared concerns about children's physical (i.e., gross motor impairment) and mental health (i.e., cognitive ability) as these limited youth's ability to engage in sports.
A lack of Adapted Physical Activity (APA) programs and insufficiently trained coaches were the greatest barrier to physical activity engagement for children with special needs.
Implications for Military Professionals
Collaborate with other professionals in the field about ways to build community resources (e.g., transportation) for military families of children with special needs
Create additional opportunities that are targeted specifically to children of service members with special needs that allow them to participate in physical activity
Implications for Program Leaders
Tailor physical activities for children of military members with special needs to reduce their elevated risk of physical and emotional health problems
Engage Service members and their children with Down syndrome in events, such as Special Olympics to increase social skills and facilitate a healthy lifestyle
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs that are non-competitive and address the needs of children with intellectual and cognitive disabilities
Promote regular participation in physical activity and healthy eating by families and children with special needs
Methods
Parents were recruited from gyms and non-profit organizations that supported families of children with Down syndrome.
Semi-structured interviews that lasted 25 minutes were conducted with parents to gain further understanding of children's medical and personal history and engagement in physical activity.
Parent's perspectives of barriers and resources for children's participation in physical activity were analyzed and put into themes based on the frequency of the content described.
Participants
Seven mothers and six fathers (N=13 families) of children (n=9 boys, n= 4 girls) with Down syndrome participated in this study.
Parents' average age was 52 years, while children's ages ranged from 7-27 years.
All children had a moderate intellectual disability and attended school with non-disabled children; most children were receiving therapy, such as speech or music therapy.
Limitations
Interviews with parents were short in length, lasting only 25 minutes, thus the design of interviews may have limited breadth of parents' perspectives and study findings.
The sample only included children with Down syndrome; conclusions from this study may be difficult to generalize to all children with special needs.
Interpretations based on the findings are limited due to only assessing parents' concerns of their child's level of physical activity; children's coaches or teachers may have had different perspectives.
Avenues for Future Research
Further explore the lived experiences of families of children with various special needs; allowing parents to share more freely about challenges and successes
Examine additional factors that may impact regular participation in physical activity among children with disabilities
Develop and test evidence-based programs aimed to increase physical activity among families of children with special needs, such as the activities and the Adapted Physical Activity (APA) programs provide
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
Background
Despite the wide documentation of the physical/psychological benefits derived from regular physical activity (PA), high levels of inactivity are reported among people with Down syndrome.
This study aims to explore parental beliefs concerning involvement, facilitators/barriers and benefits of PA in young people.
Method
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents of young people with Down syndrome.
Results
Three facilitation themes were identified: (i) the support derived from family; (ii) the availability of APA (Adapted Physical Activity) expert instructors and coaches; (iii) the challenging nature of sport activities. Three barrier themes were identified: (i) the lack of APA expert coaches and specialized gyms; (ii) the characteristics of Down syndrome; and (iii) the parental beliefs and worries.
Conclusions
Family plays a key role, as facilitator and barrier, to the participation of their children with Down syndrome in PA. Crucial is the implementation of evidence-based exercise programmes involving people with Down syndrome and their families.
Despite the wide documentation of the physical/psychological benefits derived from regular physical activity (PA), high levels of inactivity are reported among people with Down syndrome.
This study aims to explore parental beliefs concerning involvement, facilitators/barriers and benefits of PA in young people.
Method
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents of young people with Down syndrome.
Results
Three facilitation themes were identified: (i) the support derived from family; (ii) the availability of APA (Adapted Physical Activity) expert instructors and coaches; (iii) the challenging nature of sport activities. Three barrier themes were identified: (i) the lack of APA expert coaches and specialized gyms; (ii) the characteristics of Down syndrome; and (iii) the parental beliefs and worries.
Conclusions
Family plays a key role, as facilitator and barrier, to the participation of their children with Down syndrome in PA. Crucial is the implementation of evidence-based exercise programmes involving people with Down syndrome and their families.
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