A questionnaire to measure direct support professionals' attitude towards healthy nutrition of people with intellectual disabilities.

Background: Direct support professionals' (DSPs') attitudes toward nutrition are important for supporting a healthy lifestyle of persons with intellectual disabilities. However, there are no instruments to measure it. The aim of this study was to compose a questionnaire and determine its internal validity.

Measurement protocols and determinants of peak oxygen consumption in adults with Down syndrome: a systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to provide an overview of test protocols used to measure peak oxygen uptake (VOpeak) in adults with Down syndrome (DS) and to determine how generalisable the outcomes are for the entire population of adults with DS by describing the sample characteristics of these studies and their impact on VOpeak. A literature search (PROSPERO CRD42022309560) was performed (18 July 2023) using the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, Embase and SPORTDiscus. For articles to be included, they had to be peer-reviewed pubications, reporting VOpeak or VOmax for individuals with DS separately, with a sample of n ≥ 5 and a mean age ≥18 years.

Effects of a 12-week telehealth exercise intervention on gait speed and gait deviations in adults with Down syndrome.

Background: Altered gait patterns and reduced walking speed are commonly reported in adults with Down syndrome (DS). Research on the effects of DS-specific exercise programmes on adults with DS is lacking. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the changes in gait deviations and walking speed in adults with DS after a DS-specific exercise programme.

Associations between physical fitness and cardiovascular disease in older adults with intellectual disabilities: Results of the Healthy Ageing and Intellectual Disability study.

Background: Reduced physical fitness is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor in the general population. However, generalising these results to older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) may be inappropriate given their pre-existing low physical fitness levels and high prevalence of co-morbidities. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the difference in physical fitness between older adults with ID with and without CVD.

Development of a Physical Therapy-Based Exercise Program for Adults with Down Syndrome.

In adults with Down syndrome, the combination of low physical activity and fitness levels and the high prevalence of musculoskeletal co-morbidities stresses the need for specialized exercise programs. The goal of this research study was to develop a specialized exercise program for individuals with Down syndrome using the physical therapy approach of a systems review as the foundation. We first conducted an overview of the literature on co-morbidities in adults with Down syndrome using the systems review method to categorize these findings.