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Measuring physical activity in children and youth living with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review
Erica Aneke Hinckson1, Amy Curtis
1Centre for Child Health, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, New Zealand. erica.hinckson@aut.ac.nz
Insights
Children with intellectual disability (ID) are less active than their peers. More research is needed to validate tools for measuring physical activity in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Exercise Science
- Disability Studies
- Public Health
Background:
- Accurate physical activity assessment is crucial for children with intellectual disability (ID).
- Evaluating intervention effectiveness relies on reliable physical activity data.
- Existing research highlights a need for validated measurement tools in this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review measurement tools for physical activity in children with ID.
- To identify the validity and reliability of current assessment methods.
- To synthesize findings on physical activity levels in children with ID compared to typically developing peers.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
- Searched MEDLINE-PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, and SPORT Discus databases.
- Included peer-reviewed, full-text articles reporting original research on school-aged children (5-18 years) with ID.
Main Results:
- 30 studies met inclusion criteria from 5087 initial titles.
- A significant lack of validity and reliability studies for physical activity tools in children with ID was found.
- Objective measures showed consistency, indicating children with ID are less active than peers without disabilities.
- Challenges included instrument refusal, movement limitations, and device placement.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for more validity and reliability research on physical activity measurement tools for children with ID.
- Objective measurement tools, despite challenges, consistently show reduced activity levels in children with ID.
- Future research should prioritize the development and validation of these assessment tools.
Abstract:
Accurate assessment of physical activity is necessary in determining levels of physical activity in children living with intellectual disability (ID) and assessing effectiveness of intervention programmes. A systematic review of measures of physical activity in children with ID was undertaken using the PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE-PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL Plus with Full Text and SPORT Discus (up to May 2012) databases were searched and articles were identified. The following inclusion criteria were used; articles in English which reported original research and measured physical activity levels in children with ID, and participants of school age (5-18 years). Searches were limited to articles from peer-reviewed journals and those available in full text. The search identified 5087 titles. Seventy-eight articles were retained for full review and 30 met the inclusion criteria. The review identified a clear deficiency in the number of validity and reliability studies of tools used to quantify physical activity in children with ID. Objective measurement of physical activity provided consistent results. Despite the differences in study design and methodological quality, there was agreement among studies that children with ID were significantly less active compared to children without disabilities. Refusal to wear instruments, movement limitations in children with ID, and positioning of devices were common issues. Future studies should focus on determining the validity and reliability of tools used to assess physical activity in children with ID.
