Sarah E Messiah1,2, Emily M D'Agostino3, Hersila H Patel3, Eric Hansen3, Matthew Sunil Mathew1, Kristopher L Arheart2. 1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. 2. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. 3. Miami-Dade County Department of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces, Miami, Florida.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Youth with intellectual disabilities are more likely to be an unhealthy weight and less physically active than youth without intellectual disability. OBJECTIVE: The effects of Fit2Play, a park-based afterschool programme on cardiovascular/fitness health outcomes among youth with intellectual disability, were prospectively assessed. METHODS: Youth ages 6 to 22 with intellectual disability who participated in Fit2Play for either one or two school years between 2010 and 2016 (N = 297, mean age 14.1 years, 70% Hispanic, 20% non-Hispanic black, 72% male) were examined via a fitness battery at the beginning/end of the school year(s). Effects of length of Fit2Play participation on body mass index (BMI) %ile, skinfold thicknesses, systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) %iles, fitness tests, and health and wellness knowledge) were evaluated via two-level repeated measures analysis adjusted for child gender, age, ethnicity and area-level poverty. RESULTS: Adjusted models showed that up to two years of Fit2Play participation was significantly associated with improved BMI %ile, skinfold thicknesses, SPB/DBP %iles and PACER scores (p < 0.05 for all). One and two years of programme participation was associated with a 6% [95% CI: 0.92, 0.96] and 10% [95% CI: 0.87, 0.93] reduction in SBP%ile, respectively (p < 0.001), and a 36% [95% CI: 1.28, 1.45] and 57% [95% CI: 1.44, 1.70] increase in PACER score laps, respectively, compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Results here suggest that park-based, structured afterschool programmes with a focus on health and wellness can be a rich resource for this nation by offering both exclusive and immersion programmes for children with intellectual disability to foster cardiovascular health in all youth.
BACKGROUND: Youth with intellectual disabilities are more likely to be an unhealthy weight and less physically active than youth without intellectual disability. OBJECTIVE: The effects of Fit2Play, a park-based afterschool programme on cardiovascular/fitness health outcomes among youth with intellectual disability, were prospectively assessed. METHODS: Youth ages 6 to 22 with intellectual disability who participated in Fit2Play for either one or two school years between 2010 and 2016 (N = 297, mean age 14.1 years, 70% Hispanic, 20% non-Hispanic black, 72% male) were examined via a fitness battery at the beginning/end of the school year(s). Effects of length of Fit2Play participation on body mass index (BMI) %ile, skinfold thicknesses, systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) %iles, fitness tests, and health and wellness knowledge) were evaluated via two-level repeated measures analysis adjusted for child gender, age, ethnicity and area-level poverty. RESULTS: Adjusted models showed that up to two years of Fit2Play participation was significantly associated with improved BMI %ile, skinfold thicknesses, SPB/DBP %iles and PACER scores (p < 0.05 for all). One and two years of programme participation was associated with a 6% [95% CI: 0.92, 0.96] and 10% [95% CI: 0.87, 0.93] reduction in SBP%ile, respectively (p < 0.001), and a 36% [95% CI: 1.28, 1.45] and 57% [95% CI: 1.44, 1.70] increase in PACER score laps, respectively, compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Results here suggest that park-based, structured afterschool programmes with a focus on health and wellness can be a rich resource for this nation by offering both exclusive and immersion programmes for children with intellectual disability to foster cardiovascular health in all youth.
Authors: Aiwei Wang; Yang Gao; Jingjing Wang; Tomas K Tong; Yan Sun; Siyue Yu; Hong Zhao; Daozhi Zou; Ziheng Zhang; Yuling Qi; Nan Zuo; Danran Bu; Dexing Zhang; Yaojie Xie; Julien S Baker Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Date: 2021-03-22
Authors: Aiwei Wang; Danran Bu; Siyue Yu; Yan Sun; Jingjing Wang; Tinky Chin Ting Lee; Julien S Baker; Yang Gao Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-09-22 Impact factor: 4.614