Special Olympics Athletes Research Articles

Podiatric conditions observed in Special Olympics athletes: Contrasting data from a USA versus an international population

ObjectivesPersons with intellectual disabilities frequently have podiatric conditions. Findings from the 2018 United States Summer games (USA) venues are compared to those from athletes screened at the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). MethodsData from Fit Feet screenings from 2445 United Arab Emirates (UAE) participants were compared to 1244 US participants. ResultsA sampling of results that reflect significant differences in findings between the USA cohort and Abu Dhabi cohort include ankle joint range of motion, excessive abduction, hallux abducto valgus and pes planus. The overall shoe to foot mismatch was found to be 52.2%. A professional referral was recommended 27.7% of the time in the USA data and 28.5% in the Abu Dhabi data. An urgent referral was requested 5.1% of the time for the USA data and 3.7% of the time in the Abu Dhabi data. ConclusionSpecial Olympics athletes experience a greater prevalence of identifiable podiatric conditions as compared to the general population. Several of the conditions investigated in this study differed significantly between the international Special Olympics cohort and the USA cohort. Assessment of the feet of Special Olympics athletes can help to better appreciate the podiatric conditions in a population of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The variance identified between populations of Special Olympics athletes may be a reflection on the lack of standardization of conditions that are assessed for as well as the disparate characteristics of the clinical volunteers. Future Fit Feet events may wish to consider significant improvements in objectivity and standardization as it pertains to the conditions that are evaluated for in the Fit Feet exam.

The feasibility of an adapted virtual mindfulness intervention for Special Olympics athletes and their caregivers.

Virtual mindfulness may be helpful for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the context of COVID-related disruptions of in-person programming, such as Special Olympics (SO). This study examined the feasibility of a virtual mindfulness intervention for SO athletes and their caregivers. SO athletes (n = 44) and their caregivers (n = 29) participated in a 6-week adapted virtual mindfulness intervention. Athletes completed mindfulness and well-being questionnaires prior to, immediately following, and 3-months post-intervention. Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing their own stress, mindfulness, and well-being, as well as athlete mental health. Exit interviews were conducted immediately following the intervention. The intervention was feasible in terms of demand, implementation, acceptability, and limited testing efficacy. There were significant improvements in athlete well-being and mental health, and caregiver stress and mindfulness post-intervention. Adapted virtual mindfulness groups may be an effective intervention in improving the well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.

Difference in balance capacity for Special Olympics athletes and non-athletes with intellectual disabilities

Difference in balance capacity for Special Olympics athletes and non-athletes with intellectual disabilities

On-field physical activity of Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners during the 2022 Special Olympics World Unified Cup.

Special Olympics is a sport organisation spearheading efforts to increase physical activity accessibility through inclusive sport. The Unified Sports® initiative brings together Special Olympics athletes (with intellectual disabilities) and Unified partners (without a disability) in sport training and competition on the same team. The study aims to objectively evaluate differences in on-field physical activity levels between athletes and partners during the 2022 Special Olympics World Unified Cup, an international soccer (i.e., football) competition. Participants were Special Olympics athletes (n=96; 44 females, 52 males) and Unified partners (n=70; 34 females and 36 males) competing in the women's and men's tournaments. On-field actigraph accelerometry measured physical activity from 166 players, over 29 matches, and totalling 493 player-matches. In the women's tournament, nearly identical estimates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels (MVPA) were observed between athletes and partners (P=.409). However, a significant group difference was observed within a specific physical activity intensity category as partners accrued more minutes of very vigorous physical activity than athletes (P<.001). In the men's tournament, no significant differences were also observed between athletes and partners for minutes of MVPA (P=.341), but athletes engaged in significantly more vigorous physical activity (P<.001), and partners had more minutes of very vigorous physical activity (P<.001). The results suggest that on-field physical activity levels were similar between players with and without intellectual disabilities during Unified Sports competition.

Differences in Special Olympics athletes and non-athletes with intellectual disability: physical activity, strength and aerobic fitness

Differences in Special Olympics athletes and non-athletes with intellectual disability: physical activity, strength and aerobic fitness

Sensory and balance impairments in Special Olympics athletes: An epidemiological study

ABSTRACT Background Having an intellectual disability increases the likelihood for exhibiting impairments in vision, hearing, and balance. The intersection of these issues has yet to be described in a large cohort. Methods By hosting the largest public health database for individuals with intellectual disability, Special Olympics (SO) offers ∼120,000 assessments completed at competitions between 2007 and 2018. Results Of SO athletes assessed for vision (N = 52,521), hearing (N = 35,073), and balance (N = 31,446), 74%, 28%, and 51% demonstrated a deficit, respectively. Thirteen percent of athletes presenting to three assessments (N = 7,887) showed concurrent impairments. Conclusions The high prevalence of sensory and balance impairments at younger ages (M = 28.8, SD = 14.15) compared to the general population highlights disparities faced by the intellectual disability community and should guide public health policy for improved screening and counselling.

Brazilian special olympics athletes: Oral health problems.

The people with intellectual disabilities have been reported to be a vulnerable population in terms of oral health. This study was carried out to determine the oral health condition and treatment needs of Special Olympics athletes in Brazil. This study is a retrospective review of oral health data collected from athletes participating in Healthy Athletes Program Special Olympics in Brazil, between the years 2015 and 2019. About 1241 athletes from the Brazil Special Olympics program were screened in the cities of São Paulo, Jundiai and Belo Horizonte (located in southeastern Brazil) and Recife (in northeastern Brazil). At each of these events, volunteer dental professionals performed an oral health screening for each athlete, All oral health assessments were done visually; and extra lighting were available if needed. The examinations were performed with the aid of a wooden spatula of the tongue depressor type and under natural light. The following parameters were recorded: mouth pain, untreated tooth decay, missing teeth, gingival signs, urgency and mouth hygiene habits. Data was analyzed using the STATA 14.0 program. Frequency tables were used for descriptive analyses. Categorical variables were compared between the different years of the event using the Chi-Square or Fisher's Exact test. Continuous variables were compared between different event years using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post-hoc analyses. Simple logistic regression was used to assess the effect of age on dental assessment results. For all tests, a p-value was considered significant when less than or equal to .05. No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequencies of Mouth Pain and Missing Teeth over the years (p>.05). In relation to Untreated Tooth Decay, there is a higher frequency in the years 2016 and 2018 and a lower frequency in the year 2015 (p=.048). Regarding Gingival Signs of inflammation, there is a higher frequency in the years 2016 and 2018 and a lower frequency in the year 2017 (p<.001). In relation to cases of urgency (in need of treatment (Urgent treatment need, Non-Urgent or Maintenance)), there was a higher frequency (no urgency) in 2016 (p=.007). Finally, in relation to mouth hygiene habits, there is a higher frequency of participants with irregular habits in the years 2017 and 2019 (p<.001). The dental condition of Brazilian athletes Special Olympycs Brazil reported in this study from 2015 to 2019 showed us that athletes have a high prevalence of dental diseases and these needs could contribute to health damage. The athletes have many unmet dental treatment needs and these needs are similar in different regions of the country and in the years reported.

Low Muscle Strength, Low Bone Mineral Density, and High Body Mass Index Among Adult Special Olympics Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Examination.

Adults with intellectual disabilities have increasing life expectancy but may be susceptible to early aging-related conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between the presence of low muscle strength, low bone mineral density, and high body mass index with age and sex in adult Special Olympics athletes. Grip strength (n = 6,477; 40.9% female), chair stand time (n = 6,444; 40.5% female), body mass index (n = 7,824; 43.7% female), and bone mineral density (n = 3,091; 43.2% female) measurements were provided by Special Olympics International. Poor grip strength, chair stand time, bone mineral density, and body mass index were identified in 43.8%, 46.2%, 28.7%, and 50.3% of each sample, respectively. Increasing age was a risk factor for all conditions (odds ratio = 1.30-10.89; p < .05). High rates of adverse health conditions were observed in a sample of adults with intellectual disabilities. Increased risk was observed as early as the fourth decade of life.

The Top 50 Most Cited Articles on Special Olympics: A Bibliometric Analysis.

The Special Olympics was established in 1968 to “provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities”. It has gained recognition in the field of sports and healthcare of persons with intellectual disability, with a large number of dedicated researchers and institutions all over the world. However, there is an urgent need to analyze the progress and current status of this research field to identify knowledge gaps and develop this discipline. The aim of this study was to analyze the scientific production of the Special Olympics and report the bibliometric characteristics of the top 50 most cited Special Olympics publications. A systematic search was conducted on the Scopus database and bibliometric data were extracted and analyzed. The top 50 publications received 1632 citations. A total of 138 authors (63 female and 75 male) contributed to these publications. The two main areas of study were the physical health of Special Olympics athletes (n = 27) and the psycho-social health of athletes (n = 12).

Vision characteristics of Special Olympics athletes seen at the United States National Games 2010-2018.

Special Olympics International (SOI) has provided eye assessments at no cost to athletes participating in competitions through the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes (OE) programme. Access to vision services is crucial given the high rates of eye abnormalities found in studies collected at OE programmes in other countries. As of 2022, no studies covering vision data have been published on SOI athletes specifically from the USA. Therefore, this multiple cross-sectional study hopes to investigate the vision profile of US athletes over three national games, detecting any changes in vision and ocular health outcomes over an 8-year period. Vision assessments were conducted in the US national games of 2010, 2014 and 2018. Demographic and clinical data from 1427 vision assessments were used in this study. Prevalence of vision and ocular health abnormalities were compared across national games. In our cohort of 1427 assessments with athletes' mean age±SD of 29.8±11.5years, 85.3% (n=1170) had an abnormal vision result with at least one of the following findings: decreased visual acuity of 20/40 or worse (31.0%, n=442), refractive error including myopia (52.8%, n=754), hypermetropia (15.7%, n=224), and astigmatism (35.0%, n=499), ocular misalignment distant (16.2%, n=224) or near (17.2%, n=239), or ocular abnormality (19.1%, n=273). This study demonstrates the burden of vision defects and ocular disease in US SOI athletes over the past decade. While continued effort must be made to train eye providers in caring for patients with ID to increase eyecare accessibility outside of SOI, vision assessments at national games can continue providing opportunities for improved ocular health in children and adults with ID.

Descriptive epidemiology of orthopedic injury and illness during the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania Summer Games from 2008 to 2017

The Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games attract over 2000 athletes each year. Volunteer medical staff ensures their safety throughout this period. However, few studies have examined the incidence of orthopedic injury and sickness in this group, especially with a large sample. Identify the incidence of orthopedic injury and Illness at the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games based on demographic criteria and identify the incidence of transports required for advanced care. Data was collected from logs provided by Special Olympics Pennsylvania. The data were analyzed and stratified by gender, age, sport, and type of encounter. We summarized the data and compared it to data from other years and the average. An average of 1971 athletes competed annually. On average, 10% (N=144) of competitors required medical care. Males comprised 58.2% (N = 837) of encounters, females 33.6% (N = 483), and in 8.1% (N = 117) of encounters gender was not identified/recorded. The mean age of participants was 29 years of age (range from 10 to 83). 56.6% (N= 813) of encounters required first aid management only. Injuries made up 31.7% (N = 455) of total encounters, and 11.8% (N=169) of encounters were classified as illnesses. Basketball was the sport with the most injuries, 49.5% (N = 711). An average of 9.8 transports was required annually. Special Olympics athletes suffer the same injuries as regular athletes, but they are also prone to various medical disorders that regular athletes are not.

Injury Trends in Special Olympics Athletes From the 2018 USA Games.

To categorize injury types and occurrence among athletes participating in the Special Olympics (SO). Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. 2018 SO USA Games. Athletes participating in 14 sports at the 2018 SO USA Games (n = 2251). Individual and team sports. Percentage of athletes injured per individual sport, percentage of injury type by sport, rate of injuries per 1000 exposures, and number of injuries per game in team sports. In individual sports, the percentage of athletes injured ranged from 38.5% in gymnastics to 12.9% in golf. Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries occurred in 53.3% of gymnastics injuries and 58.6% of tennis injuries. For stand-up paddleboard, most injuries were non-MSK (66.7%). The highest rate of MSK injuries occurred in gymnastics (25.6/1000 exposures), whereas the highest rates of non-MSK injuries (95.2/1000 exposures) and minor injuries (47.6/1000 exposures) were among stand-up paddleboard athletes. In team sports, the highest number of injuries per game occurred in softball (1.9 per game). A high percentage of injuries occurred at the 2018 SO USA Games. The high rate of non-MSK injuries is unique to the SO and should be considered when planning medical coverage for future events.

Age and sex-based differences in functional strength of adults participating in Special Olympics

Muscular strength is a critical component of physical health. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine age- and sex-based differences in functional strength and rates of referral for education in a large international sample of Special Olympics athletes. A total of 30,358 (male = 19,661) adult (20&#8211;69 years old) athlete functional strength records were utilized from the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes database. Descriptive statistics were computed for the following tests: timed sit to stand, partial sit-up, grip strength, and seated push-up. Analyses of variance with Fisher-Hayter pairwise comparisons generally supported age-related decreases in strength among both males and females in this study. Overall, male participants were stronger than the female participants. However, significantly fewer women were referred for education based on their grip strength scores. The rates of referral for education are a concern regarding core- and leg strength for more than one-third of athletes over the age of 30. These findings suggest that a substantial proportion of Special Olympics athletes would benefit from additional strength and conditioning training.

Retrospective analysis of the Special Olympics Health Promotion database for nutrition-specific variables

BackgroundStudies have shown that individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) exhibit a high prevalence of obesity and poor-quality diet. The population of individuals with ID include athletes that participate in Special Olympics. AimIn order to develop appropriate educational programs for the Special Olympics Athletes in Connecticut, a baseline of the various health and nutrition variables needed to be established by examining the existing data in the Special Olympics International's Health Promotion database. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed using data from the Special Olympics International (SOI) Health Promotion database. The study population included athletes at least 20 years of age (n = 47,932) and divided into sub-groups of non-USA, USA and Connecticut (CT). The data was provided by SOI to the research team in a de-identified form covering the time frame of 2014–2019. The existing data was originally collected by trained SO volunteers and included age, height, weight, bone mineral density (BMD), blood pressure (BP) variables and a health habits questionnaire. In addition to basic descriptive statistics, analysis was performed using Chi Squared Analysis and ANOVA with post-hoc. A significance level of p value ≤ 0.05 was used for all analyses. ResultsResults show a high prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure, low bone mineral density and a poor-quality diet across all groups. CT athletes were older and had a more even distribution by gender compared to the non-USA and USA groups. CT athletes had a high prevalence of obesity, HTN, and low BMD, as well as, a poor quality diet reflected by high frequency of consumption of sweetened beverages, fast food and snack food. CT athletes also did not consume the recommended daily servings of calcium containing foods or fruits and vegetables. ConclusionThis data will be used to develop educational programs that will help to improve the overall health of Special Olympics Athletes in Connecticut.

Public Speaking Coaching for Adult Special Olympics Athletes

Purpose Individuals with intellectual disabilities often face communication challenges that can impact verbal communication, social interactions, and public speaking effectiveness. These challenges include decreased speech intelligibility, eye contact, and storytelling organization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefit of a 4.5-month public speaking coaching program for adult Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities. Method Using a pre–post design, four athletes and their parents or caregivers completed questionnaires that rated the athletes' public speaking skills in 10 areas relevant for effective public speaking before and after the 4.5-month program. Graduate students in communication sciences and disorders worked with the adults on individualized goals identified from a preliminary speech and the self-report questionnaires. Differences in pre- and post-program response ratings and pre- and post-program speech behaviors were evaluated. Results Participation in the program resulted in positive changes in the athletes' public speaking ratings and behaviors, as measured by the athletes' and familiar-listeners' pre- and post-program questionnaires and the athletes' observed public speaking performance. Conclusions The results support the benefit of individualized coaching in public speaking programs. Because public speaking skills are important for communicating effectively in community interactions more broadly, the program also has potential relevance for use in clinical settings and education programs for adults and adolescents with and without intellectual disabilities.

New dimentions of safety and security of special olympics athletes during events

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the sport sector worldwide as well as sports calendar. Sports events have been cancelled or rescheduled like Summer Olympic and Paralympic games. The same had happened with the Special Olympics (SO) events. The pandemic constitutes a global challenge to the sport movements in terms of security and safety for all participants. Much more complicated it appears to secure the athletes with intellectual disabilities. Pandemic research has found that people with intellectual disabilities are almost six times more likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population. The SO programs organizers will face unknown so far issues in terms of security and safety. Aim: The aim of the study is to explore the influence of new safety and security events protocols of Special Olympics on the mission and particularly on the athletes. Methods: We applied documentary analysis including theoretical-logical analysis, systematic approach (structural-functional, structural-component and structural-integral aspect), comparative analysis, video analysis, field notes and focus group composed by participants in pervious SO World games (delegation leaders, coaches and parents). Results: The results of our research shows that most of the national SO programs are reporting that the pandemic have a devastating impact on the athletes and the movement in general. The new live reality is affecting not only the daily routines of athletes with intellectual disabilities but also their social interaction in terms of communication and emotional functioning. Conclusion: Having in mind that safety is first priority and applying all protocols, SO is attempting to preserve the mission, to ensure joy of sport and physical activity. In the new reality close contact and friendships are approached in a way to preserve them and to keep them as essential part of the events.

Special Olympics Pakistan: using a segregated space to transition to independence in mainstream settings

The present study sought to understand the experiences of five Special Olympics Pakistan athletes and their guardians. Together, we explored the role of the Special Olympics Pakistan in their lives and how they envision expanding the work of the organization to promote independent living among Pakistani Special Olympics athletes. The study was guided by a participatory approach using PhotoVoice where participants were involved in all phases of the research process. Through thematic analysis, we present the primary theme of Using Special Olympics Pakistan to Further the Intellectual Disability Movement, which focuses on how Special Olympics Pakistan has facilitated the development of sense of community, actions toward independence and goals for expanding the organization’s work. We discuss implications for research and practice. Points of interest Pakistani Special Olympics athletes and their guardians were involved in all parts of this study which focused on gathering information through group meetings. Pakistani Special Olympics athletes and guardians reported that the Special Olympics Pakistan helped them make friends, feel a part of a community, and learn how to be more independent. This study found that Special Olympics Pakistan has taught athletes skills to help them be a part of mainstream society such as finding jobs. Guardians reported that the Special Olympics helped them understand disability issues and find ways to work together to help improve the lives of people with intellectual disability. This study is important because it provides information on disability issues in Pakistan from people with intellectual disabilities and describes how Special Olympics Pakistan is helping people with intellectual disability be a part of mainstream society.

Oral health needs of athletes with intellectual disability in Southern Europe: Greece, Italy and Spain.

The population with intellectual disabilities (ID) has been reported to be a vulnerable population in terms of oral health. The aims of this study were to evaluate the oral condition and treatment needs of Special Olympics (SO) athletes from Greece, Italy and Spain. A cross-sectional study was performed with data collected in annual SO events held in Greece, Italy and Spain, between 2010 and 2012. The recorded parameters were the presence/absence of edentulism, untreated decay, filled or missing teeth, sealants, tooth injury and signs of gingival disease. Among the main findings, the prevalence of untreated decay was 57.0% in Greece, 48.8% in Italy and 41.7% of the Spanish athletes. The prevalence of signs of gingival disease was 61.1% in Greece, 60.6% in Italy and 66.1% in Spain. While the majority of the athletes were in need of dental treatment. Oral disease is an unresolved problem among athletes with ID in these Mediterranean countries. Therefore efforts should be directed to meet their treatment needs and to prevent oral disease.

Heart rate responses during the modified six-minute walk test among Special Olympics athletes

Heart rate responses during the modified six-minute walk test among Special Olympics athletes

Vestibular function in adults with intellectual disabilities: feasibility and outcome of a vestibular screening protocol in Special Olympics athletes

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a well-adapted vestibular screening battery to objectively examine the (peripheral) vestibular function, and to explore the characteristics of potential vestibular deficits in the adult ID population. Design Cross-sectional study design. Study sample Compared to an age- and gender-weighted control group, a heterogeneous group of forty-five adults with ID participated in the vestibular screening at the National Games of Special Olympics Belgium (2019), which consisted of a bone conduction cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (cVEMP) measurement and video Head Impulse Test (vHIT). Results The screening battery appeared to be feasible in the majority of the participants (cVEMP: 92%; vHIT: 72%). Overall, the occurrence of abnormal cVEMP and vHIT responses was significantly higher in the ID group, with significantly lower corrected peak-to-peak cVEMP amplitudes (p < 0.001), lower vHIT gains (p < 0.001), and higher cVEMP and vHIT asymmetry ratios in the ID group (p = 0.008 and p < 0.001 resp.). Conclusions Vestibular assessment using the cVEMP and vHIT technique shows a promising feasibility in adults with ID. In addition, this study suggests that people with ID exhibit an increased prevalence of (peripheral) vestibular deficits relative to the general population.