Publication details
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OF SPECIAL OLYMPIANS DURING A SUMMER OUTDOOR CAMP
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Kinanthropology |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | Intellectual Disability; Eunice Kennedy-Shriver Camp; Steps; ActiGraph |
| Description | The goals of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program is to assess the level of physical activities of individuals with mental disability. Studies indicate that people with a mental disability are less engaged in physical activity than their peers. The published data was mainly collected from oral feedback. The objective of this study was to assess physical loading of persons with intellectual disability, really to assess the physical activity of Special Olympians during 6 days summer outdoor camp using an accelerometer and to analyze their level of physical activity in relation to gender and age cohort of the camp participants. Forty-seven participants (21 males, 26 females) at the age from 14 to 52 wore a GT3X ActiGraph to record their physical activity levels for 6 days during the outdoor camp approx. from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Their activity was recorded every day by trained volunteers (camp leaders). The content of activities was based on the principle of Eunice Kennedy Shriver camp and consisted from walking, hiking, easy team outdoor plays, table tennis, cycling. Participants realized the exercises in co-educated groups (males and females together) with respect to their age, physical and intellectual capacity. The physical activity levels of participants were higher than published guidelines. Average items: males 4,943 steps per day, 33.6 min of moderate activity/day; females 3,727 steps per day, 27.1 min of moderate activity/day. Our sample was 1.7 times more active than an ordinary population. These findings disagree with the previous published results even if we respect that they were assessed during an outdoor physical activity camp. In spite of the fact the guided program was similar for both genders: the males were more active than females, which is relevant with findings in the general population. The analyses of the achievements of the age cohort older than 35 years showed the daily results: 13 males – 4.056 steps and 39.1 min of moderate activity; 13 females – 2.881 steps and 16.5 min of moderate activity. Regarding the level of physical activity we can conclude the persons with mental disability (Special Olympians) can realize a higher level of physical activities under a guided program. The local Special Olympics initiatives are beneficial for people with mental disability. The project should be repeated with the same participants during their regular week and in relations to their BMI, fitness variables, etc. |