Exercises and sports participation in healthy older adults with intellectual disability—A pilot study

Eli Carmeli, Joav Merrick, Bita Imam, Ran Levy

Department of Physical Therapy, Neve Ram Residential Care Center, Rechasim, Israel.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Health Services, Office of the Medical Director, Division for Mental Retardation, Ministry of Social Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel.
Neve Ram Residential Care Center, Rechasim, Israel.
Rehabilitation Research Lab, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2012.429119                

Abstract

Background: Many adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) have low physical activity (PA). Lack of PA is a risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the rate of PA in healthy older adults with ID. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data. Participants were caregivers of persons with ID who were over 50 years old and living in a residential care center. A PA questionnaire and a daily rapport form were used to gather information about the type and rate of daily PA of persons with ID for 12 consecutive days. The Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) was used to assess functional dependency. Results: Healthy older adults with ID do not engage in adequate regular PA as recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Conclusion: The low participation in PA for persons with ID may be related to lack of appreciation of the benefits of PA, lack of support from their caregivers and difficulty finding experienced personnel to train them.

Keywords

Aging; Intellectual Disability; Physical Activity

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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