Abstract
Background: Many adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) have low physical activity (PA). Lack of PA is a risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the rate of PA in healthy older adults with ID. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data. Participants were caregivers of persons with ID who were over 50 years old and living in a residential care center. A PA questionnaire and a daily rapport form were used to gather information about the type and rate of daily PA of persons with ID for 12 consecutive days. The Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) was used to assess functional dependency. Results: Healthy older adults with ID do not engage in adequate regular PA as recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Conclusion: The low participation in PA for persons with ID may be related to lack of appreciation of the benefits of PA, lack of support from their caregivers and difficulty finding experienced personnel to train them.
Highlights
Health prevention and promotion in term of physical activity (PA) among aged individuals with intellectual disability (ID) has received little attention from policy makers and health professionals in the public health and welfare authorities.A large body of evidence regarding physical activity in persons of intellectual disabilities (ID) provided a useful information regarding the concept of physical activity versus exercise and sports, and regarding the limitations of the use of questionnaires [1,2,3,4,5,6]
There are no data whether persons with ID meet the recommendations for PA made by US department of health and human services [7]
To the authors’ knowledge, no other studies have investigated whether older persons with ID who live in residential care facilities meet the recommended PA guidelines
Summary
Health prevention and promotion in term of physical activity (PA) among aged individuals with intellectual disability (ID) has received little attention from policy makers and health professionals in the public health and welfare authorities.A large body of evidence regarding physical activity in persons of ID provided a useful information regarding the concept of physical activity versus exercise and sports, and regarding the limitations of the use of questionnaires [1,2,3,4,5,6]. There are no data whether persons with ID meet the recommendations for PA made by US department of health and human services [7]. The recommendations are designed to provide information and guidance on the types and amounts of PA that provide substantial short-and-long term health benefits. The main idea behind the recommendations is that regular PA over months and years plays a key role in manifestation of long-term health benefits such as disease prevention [8], and improving the quality of life of people with mental disorders [9]. Many adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) have low physical activity (PA). Results: Healthy older adults with ID do not engage in adequate regular PA as recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Conclusion: The low participation in PA for persons with ID may be related to lack of appreciation of the benefits of PA, lack of support from their caregivers and difficulty finding experienced personnel to train them
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