Abstract
To investigate the effects of a school-based once-a-week sports program on physical fitness, physical activity, and cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents with a physical disability. This controlled clinical trial included 71 children and adolescents from four schools for special education [mean age 13.7 (2.9) years, range 8-19, 55% boys]. Participants had various chronic health conditions including cerebral palsy (37%), other neuromuscular (44%), metabolic (8%), musculoskeletal (7%), and cardiovascular (4%) disorders. Before recruitment and based on the presence of school-based sports, schools were assigned as sport or control group. School-based sports were initiated and provided by motivated experienced physical educators. The sport group (n = 31) participated in a once-a-week school-based sports program for 6 months, which included team sports. The control group (n = 40) followed the regular curriculum. Anaerobic performance was assessed by the Muscle Power Sprint Test. Secondary outcome measures included aerobic performance, VO2 peak, strength, physical activity, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, body composition, and the metabolic profile. A significant improvement of 16% in favor of the sport group was found for anaerobic performance (p = 0.003). In addition, the sport group lost 2.8% more fat mass compared to the control group (p = 0.007). No changes were found for aerobic performance, VO2 peak, physical activity, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and the metabolic profile. Anaerobic performance and fat mass improved following a school-based sports program. These effects are promising for long-term fitness and health promotion, because sports sessions at school eliminate certain barriers for sports participation and adding a once-a-week sports session showed already positive effects for 6 months. This trial was registered with the Dutch Trial Registry (NTR4698).
Highlights
Physical activity is beneficial for all children and adolescents
Since limited physical ability can interfere with being physically active in daily life and affect their health later in life, maintaining sports participation and adequate performance-related fitness levels is especially important in this population [9, 10]
For youth with a physical disability, it seems more difficult to participate in sports and physical activities when compared to typically developing peers [11]
Summary
Physical activity is beneficial for all children and adolescents. For those with physical disabilities, similar physical activity recommendations account [1]. In 2011, only 26% of Dutch children and adolescents with a physical disability from schools for special education participate in sports at least once a week compared to 71% in youth without physical disabilities [12] Reasons for this lower sports participation are being physically active is more challenging because of their disability, lack of trained support personnel, transportation problems, lack of acceptance, and no sports clubs in the neighborhood [13,14,15]. Most of these barriers to be physical active can possibly be eliminated when a sports program is provided at school in the immediate after-school hours. This setting offers a familiar environment with supported trainers, acceptance, and no additional transportation except a postponed pickup from school
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