ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the impact of a 16-week aerobic exercise programme on the changes in the plasma level concentration of thyroid hormones in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.MethodologyUsing purposive sampling, a total of 36 adolescents with intellectual disabilities were selected to participate in the study. The training programme consisted of 16 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises at an intensity of 45–75 hours. These exercises were performed in three sessions a week, and each session took 30–45 min: 10 min warm-up, 15–30 min main aerobic workout and 5 min cool-down exercises. The plasma levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) and of thyroid stimulating hormone were measured before and after 16 weeks of aerobic exercise intervention.ResultsAfter 16 weeks of intervention, a significant change was observed in the plasma level concentration of thyroid (T3 and T4) and thyroid stimulating hormones (p<0.05) in the group treated with aerobic exercise.ConclusionWe concluded that aerobic exercise had an impact on the change in the plasma level concentration of thyroid and thyroid stimulating hormones in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

Intellectual disabilities a serious problem in the entire world and its prevalence is high in school-age children. These difficulties can influence cognitive, social and emotional areas of functioning and has led their families to suffer in economic and social disadvantages than those without disabilities. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sixteen week resistance exercise on cognition developments of school children with intellectual disabilities in Desse & Kombolcha, Amhara region, Ethiopia. In this Pre-test and post-test study design eighteen adolescents with intellectual disabilities were participated in the study. Paired t-test was fitted to analyze the pre-test and post-test data of the study participants. In order to measure cognitive variables digit span backward, digit span forward, vocabulary and similarity test batteries were used to measure working memory, short term memory, vocabulary knowledge and comparative reasoning respectively before and after sixteen week of the training intervention. After sixteen week of intervention, a significant mean score change was observed in working memory, short term memory, vocabulary knowledge and comparative reasoning respectively (p < 0.05) after training when compared with before training. We concluded that resistance exercise can improve the cognitive skills of adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

The effect of resistance exercise on muscular strength with the influence of growth hormone is well known. However, there is little information about its underlying effect on thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormones. Specifically, no research has been done on the effect of a resistance exercise intervention on thyroid hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone serum concentration level among school children with intellectual disability in Ethiopian. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sixteen-week of a resistance exercise intervention on serum concentration level of thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in school children with intellectual disabilities. In this study, eighteen school children with intellectual disabilities participated. The participants' serum concentration level of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxin (T4) and TSH were measured before and after a sixteen-week resistance exercise intervention and determined using quantitative determination of T3, T4, and TSH respectively. Paired ttest was used to analyze the pre-test and post-test data of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) and TSH of the study. Aftersixteen weekof resistance exercise intervention, a significant mean score change was observed in the serum concentration level of thyroid hormones (p < 0.05) in T3 (p= 0.038), T4 (p = 0. 017) and TSH (p = 0.018). Our finding revealed that resistance exercise affects the serum concentration level of thyroid hormones and thyroidstimulating hormones in school children with intellectual disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Tigray regional state traditional dances on health-related physical fitness traits among high school students in Ethiopia. To achieve the purpose of this study, 100 high school students were selected randomly. And their age was 15.5±1.1 years. The selected participants were categorized into the experimental group consists of four Traditional dances that were Awris, Hura, Kuda, and Shediva and the control group with twenty subjects in each. The experimental group performed traditional dances for 16 weeks three days per week whereas participants in the control group were informed to follow their usual daily activity. All participants were tested on selected criterion measures on muscular strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and body composition before and after the 16 weeks of the training period. The data about the variables in this study were statistically examined using ANOVA for each variable separately, whenever the 'F' ratio of adjusted post-test was found to be significant, the Scheffe's test was used to determine the paired mean differences. The level of significance was fixed at 0.05. Following the 16-weeks traditional dance training, a significant change was observed on muscular strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance, but there was no significant improvement in body composition as compares to the experimental groups with the control group. Therefore it can be concluded that Tigray traditional dance training program can notably improve physical fitness level of high school students.

Anxiety is made up of mental and physiological components. Researchers have indicated that there is a relationship between anxiety and performance. Present paper tries to investigate the level of anxiety between student players of different games, football volleyball and basketball representing different universities at intercollegiate games held in Haromia University in 2013. A survey was carried out on one hundred and eighty two student players (n=182) out of 300 participated, representing various universities and from different parts of Ethiopia. Only male players aged between 18-25 years were selected for the study. Maximum effort and meticulous care was taken while recording the measurements with precision and accuracy. Sports Competitive Anxiety Test (SCAT) was used to measure anxiety level among the football and other players. To compare anxiety between football, volleyball and basketball one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed setting the level of significance at 0.05. The results revealed that anxiety level showed significant difference for the three ball games. The anxiety level for players of football was found to be highest among others (F=31.97, p<0.05). This implies that football game by its very nature is anxiety -inducing. This necessitates the need for anxiety alleviation intervention before the tournament for successful performance and achievement in the competition.