Correlates of Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional Studies

Abstract

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at a high risk for a lack of physical activity (PA). The aim of this study is to review the evidence on the correlates of PA in children and adolescents with ASD in low- and middle-income countries. We searched Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (PBSC), Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science (WOS), MEDLINE, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Education Source (ES), and Academic Search Premier (ASP) databases for relevant studies until April 2022, inclusive, to examine the factors associated with the studies of PA in children and adolescents with ASD aged 5 to 17 years in low- and middle-income countries. A total of 15 articles are included in the present review. Three researchers assessed the methodological quality and extracted relevant data of the included reviews. The correlates were synthesized and further assessed semi-quantitatively. Results of this review show that gender (boys) and more PA opportunities were positively associated with the PA of children and adolescents with ASD, while age and body mass index (BMI) were negatively related to their PA levels in low- and middle-income countries. The day of week was found to be inconsistently associated with PA in children and adolescents with ASD. The findings suggest that research on the correlates of PA in adolescents with ASD in low- and middle-income countries is limited. However, there are clear correlates for which future interventions could be based (age, gender, BMI, and PA opportunity) to promote PA participation in children and adolescents with ASD in low- and middle-income countries.