Improving body composition and social function through combined exercise program in children with intellectual disabilities: a single-arm pre-post intervention study.

Physical activity and nutrition Pub Date : 2025-06-01 Epub Date: 2025-06-30 DOI:10.20463/pan.2025.0015
Siyeon Oh, Woo-Hyeon Son, Min-Seong Ha
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose: Although children with intellectual disabilities (ID) face a heightened risk of physical inactivity, psychiatric comorbidities such as ADHD, and delayed social development -which collectively impair their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being- and structured physical activity (PA) has been proposed as a multidimensional intervention, few studies have rigorously examined the integrated effects of a combined exercise program on the physical health, behavioral symptoms, and social functioning of this population. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 16-week combined exercise program -incorporating aerobic and resistance training- on body composition, ADHD-related behavioral symptoms, and social functioning in children with ID.

Methods: A total of 30 children with mild ID (mean age: 10.4 ± 1.3 years) participated in a structured intervention comprising three 60-min exercise sessions per week over 16 weeks. The exercise intensity progressively increased across three phases (50-80% HRR). Body composition (including BMI, body fat, and muscle mass) was assessed using validated anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance methods. ADHD symptoms were evaluated using the ADHD Rating Scale-IV, and social functioning was assessed using the Social Maturity Scale, which were rated by both parents and teachers. Paired t-tests were conducted to assess pre-post differences, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: Postintervention results revealed significant improvements in children's body composition: reductions in weight (-3.1%, p = 0.031), BMI (-3.3%, p = 0.028), body fat (-6.3%, p = 0.015), waist circumference (-2.6%, p = 0.040), hip circumference (-1.4%, p = 0.048), and WHR (-1.1%, p = 0.045), along with an increase in muscle mass (+5.9%, p = 0.022). ADHD-related symptoms significantly decreased: inattention (-20.0%, p = 0.012), hyperactivity/impulsivity (-20.5%, p = 0.014), and task incompletion (-20.7%, p = 0.010). Social indicators also improved, including reductions in both social interaction difficulties (-20.3%, p = 0.020) and repetitive behavior (-20.0%, p = 0.025).

Conclusion: The 16-week combined exercise program produced meaningful improvements in the physical health, attentional control, and social functioning of children with ID. These findings underscore the utility of integrated PA as a nonpharmacological, multidomain intervention to enhance the well-being of neurodiverse children. Future studies should explore the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and assess the long-term sustainability of these outcomes.

通过联合运动项目改善智障儿童的身体组成和社会功能:一项干预前后的单臂研究。
目的:尽管患有智力障碍(ID)的儿童面临着身体缺乏活动、精神合并症(如多动症)和社交发展迟缓的高风险,这些疾病共同损害了他们的身体、认知和情感健康,而有组织的身体活动(PA)已被提出作为一种多维干预措施,但很少有研究严格检查了综合锻炼计划对身体健康、行为症状、以及这个群体的社会功能。本研究旨在评估一项为期16周的结合有氧和阻力训练的联合运动计划对ID儿童的身体组成、adhd相关行为症状和社会功能的影响。方法:共有30名轻度ID儿童(平均年龄:10.4±1.3岁)参加了一项结构化干预,包括每周3次60分钟的锻炼,持续16周。运动强度在三个阶段逐渐增加(50-80% HRR)。使用经过验证的人体测量和生物电阻抗方法评估身体成分(包括BMI、体脂和肌肉质量)。ADHD症状用ADHD评定量表评定,社会功能用社会成熟度量表评定,由家长和老师共同评定。配对t检验评估前后差异,p < 0.05为显著性。结果:干预后的结果显示,儿童的身体组成有显著改善:体重(-3.1%,p = 0.031)、BMI (-3.3%, p = 0.028)、体脂(-6.3%,p = 0.015)、腰围(-2.6%,p = 0.040)、臀围(-1.4%,p = 0.048)和腰臀比(-1.1%,p = 0.045)减少,肌肉质量(+5.9%,p = 0.022)增加。adhd相关症状显著减少:注意力不集中(-20.0%,p = 0.012)、多动/冲动(-20.5%,p = 0.014)和任务不完成(-20.7%,p = 0.010)。社会指标也有所改善,包括社会互动困难(-20.3%,p = 0.020)和重复行为(-20.0%,p = 0.025)的减少。结论:为期16周的联合锻炼计划对ID儿童的身体健康、注意力控制和社会功能产生了有意义的改善。这些发现强调了综合PA作为一种非药物、多领域干预的效用,以提高神经多样性儿童的福祉。未来的研究应该探索潜在的神经生物学机制,并评估这些结果的长期可持续性。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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