A longitudinal health promotion program for autistic children and their caregivers: Impact of an urban community-based program.

Autistic children, as well as their primary caregivers (e.g., parents), experience greater health disparities when compared with the general population.

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

Background: 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.

Trajectories of physical activity among autistic children and their caregivers: Outcomes of a virtual 1-year longitudinal intervention.

Background: Participation in regular physical activity (PA) is a critical component of overall well-being. However, opportunities to engage in health-enhancing PA for families who have an autistic child are relatively obsolete. A virtual PA intervention has the potential to address many participation barriers and represents a timely opportunity to promote positive trajectories of PA among vulnerable populations.

Associations of fundamental motor skill competence, isometric plank, and modified pull-ups in 5-year old children: An observational analysis of 2012 NHANES NYFS.

There are purported relationships between fundamental motor skills (FMS), health-related physical fitness, physical activity, and obesity among children. The purpose of this observational, secondary data analysis was to further examine these associations in children from the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey (NYFS). 121 five-year old children (51% female) from the NYFS database completed the Test of Gross Motor Development, 2nd edition (TGMD-2), muscular fitness measures of plank and modified pull-ups, and weight status based on body mass index (BMI) percentile.

Virtual Reality and Powerpoint Grocery Store Tours: Equally Effective in Improving Self-efficacy in Randomised Control Trial.

Purpose: Compare computer-based virtual reality (CBVR) and voice-over PowerPoint (PP) grocery store tours (GST) on adult nutrition literacy (NL) and healthful food purchasing self-efficacy (HFPSE).

Design: Participants (n = 68) recruited from University worksite wellness program and randomly assigned to CBVR or PP (CBVR = 35; PP = 33).

Intervention: Four-week culinary/nutrition education program.

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.

Fundamental Motor Skill Delays in Preschool Children With Disabilities: 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey.

Delays in fundamental motor skill (FMS) competency have been observed in a variety of children with disabilities. However, evidence of FMS delays is largely limited to small, geographically specific, limitedly diverse, and non-representative samples. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between FMS competency and reported disability status among pre-school children, ages 3-5 years, using the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey (NYFS).

Promoting physical activity participation and nutrition education through a telehealth intervention for children on the autism spectrum and their caregivers.

There is growing empirical support which suggests children on the autism spectrum, as well as their caregivers experience significant health disparities. The global COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified the need to address health among vulnerable populations. While there has been a growing trend in the delivery of telehealth interventions, the delivery of such methods for children on the autism spectrum, and their caregivers remains relatively under examined.

Promoting Positive Health Outcomes in an Urban Community-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Preschool Aged Children on the Autism Spectrum.

While there is wide consensus regarding the importance of early intervention, health is rarely considered within priorities. Twenty-five children on the autism spectrum (M = 4.67, SD = 0.

The Relationship Between Developmental Coordination Disorder and Concurrent Deficits in Social Communication and Repetitive Behaviors Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), characterized by core deficits in social communication and restrictive behaviors, can exhibit concurrent motor incoordination and/or intellectual disability (ID). While pervasive delays in motor behavior are common, formal diagnosis of Development Coordination Disorder (DCD) is uncommon. It is not clear how DCD and ID impact core deficits in ASD.

The Instructional Sensitivity of the Test of Gross Motor Development-3 to Detect Changes in Performance for Young Children With and Without Down Syndrome.

The Test of Gross Motor Development is among the most commonly used measures of gross motor competency in children. An important attribute of any developmental assessment is its sensitivity to detect change. The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional sensitivity of the Test of Gross Motor Development-third edition (TGMD-3) performance criteria to changes in performance for 48 children (age 4-7 years) with and without Down syndrome following 10 weeks of physical education.

Clinical Validity of the Test of Gross Motor Development-3 in Children With Disabilities from the U.S. National Normative Sample.

The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD) measures fundamental motor skills competency and is frequently used for eligibility determination of adapted physical education services in children with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine if the TGMD-3 is clinically sensitive to detect deficits in the fundamental motor skills of children with disabilities (i.e.

Predicting the rate of oxygen uptake from step counts using ActiGraph waist-worn accelerometers in adults with Down syndrome.

Background: Step rate predicts ambulatory intensity as reflected in the rate of oxygen uptake (VO ) - a measure of energy expenditure. Whether step rate as measured by an accelerometer predicts VO in adults with Down syndrome (DS) is unknown. We examined whether step rate predicts VO in adults with and without DS.

Diurnal cortisol and obesity in adolescents with and without Down syndrome.

Background: The prevalence of obesity in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) far exceeds that in the general population. Cortisol, an adrenal hormone, can be obesogenic when dysregulated. However, the diurnal patterns of this hormone have not been examined among individuals with DS.

Physical Activity Research in Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review Using the Behavioral Epidemiological Framework.

Through a scoping review, the current state of physical activity research in people with intellectual disability was examined. A search of publications between 2000 and 2014 retrieved 362 articles that met inclusion criteria. Eligible studies were coded according to the Behavioral Epidemiological Framework.

Association between Physical Activity and Adiposity in Adolescents with Down Syndrome.

Purpose: Obesity is highly prevalent among adolescents with Down syndrome (DS); however, reported associations between body composition and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) have been small and nonsignificant. The purpose of this study was to compare group differences between adolescents with and without DS, including dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured body composition and accelerometer-measured physical activity, and then examine associations within adolescents with DS.

Methods: Thirty-nine adolescents (22 with DS and 17 typically developing controls) 12-18 yr of age participated in the study.

Inter- and Intrarater Reliabilities of the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition Among Experienced TGMD-2 Raters.

The purpose of this study was to examine the inter- and intrarater reliabilities of the Test of Gross Motor Development-third edition (TGMD-3). The TGMD-3 was administered to 10 typically developing children. Five raters with experience using the Test of Gross Motor Development-second edition (TGMD-2) scored the digitally recorded performances and then rescored the same performances after a period of 2 weeks.