Abstract
Purpose: This cross-sectional study assessed the associations of gender, age, level of intellectual disabilities (IDs) and of daily sedentary and physical activity (PA) time with physical fitness in adults with ID. Materials and methods: Sixty adults (mean age = 39.19 ± 11.70 years) with ID participated in this cross-sectional study. PA was monitored for 7 days using an ActiGraph GT3X monitor. Physical fitness was measured with a 6-min walking test, isometric push-up test, modified curl-up test, handgrip strength test, and back-saver sit-and-reach test. Results: (a) An age of ≥39 years and female gender were associated with lower performance in multiple aspects of physical fitness. (b) More moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was associated with greater muscular strength and endurance (modified curl-ups: β = 0.36, p < 0.01; handgrip strength: right, β = 0.52, p < 0.01; left, β = 0.52, p < 0.01). (c) More light-intensity PA (LPA) was associated with greater upper-body muscular endurance (β = 0.42, p < 0.01) and greater flexibility (right leg: β = 0.36, p < 0.01; left leg: β = 0.38, p < 0.01). Conclusion: LPA may be as beneficial as MVPA to the physical fitness of adults with ID. Future studies should focus on developing effective PA interventions for adults with ID, especially for women and individuals aged ≥39 years, by incorporating both LPA and MVPA.
Highlights
Accepted: 7 May 2021People with intellectual disability (ID) may exhibit limited adaptive capacity in their mental development and their physiological, social, and emotional development
All the participants completed tests measuring the following fitness components: (a) Cardiorespiratory fitness functioning was measured with the 6-minute walking test (6MWT). (b) Upper-body muscular endurance was assessed with an isometric push-up test. (c) Abdominal muscular endurance was measured with a modified curl-up test. (d) Hand and forearm muscular strength were assessed with a handgrip strength test
Three fixed individual characteristics were negatively associated with physical fitness among individuals with ID and must be considered in establishing reference values: old age, female gender, and mild disability
Summary
People with intellectual disability (ID) may exhibit limited adaptive capacity in their mental development and their physiological, social, and emotional development. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5033 are essential for performing activities of daily living and developing functional skills, and low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength and endurance can limit independence in adulthood [12]. Hilgenkamp et al [20] assessed the relationships of multiple individual factors (e.g., age, gender, and ID level) with physical fitness in people with ID aged 50 years and over. They [20] indicated that being older, being female, and having more severe ID were independently associated with lower levels of multiple physical fitness parameters. The authors hypothesized that various fitness components would be positively and negatively associated with PA and SA, respectively
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