Comparison of physical activity between children with autism spectrum disorders and typically developing children

Abstract

Regular physical activity is important for promoting health and well-being; however, physical activity behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have received little attention. We compared physical activity levels among 53 children with ASD and 58 typically developing children ages 3–11 years who participated in the Children's Activity and Meal Patterns Study (CHAMPS). After adjustment for age and sex the amount of time spent daily in moderate and vigorous activity (MVPA) was similar in children with ASD (50.0 minutes/day, and typically developing children 57.1 minutes/day). However, parents reported that children with ASD participated in significantly fewer types of physical activities than did typically developing children (6.9vs.9.6, p < .001) and spent less time annually participating in these activities compared to typically developing children (158 vs. 225 hr/yr, p < 0.0001) after adjusting for age and sex. Although both groups of children engaged in similar levels of moderate and vigorous activity (MVPA) as measured by accelerometry, children with ASD engaged in fewer physical activities and for less time according to parental report, suggesting that some of the activity in children with ASD is not captured by standard questionnaire-based measures.

Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Youth With Disabilities

“…The lower habitual PA (except MVPA for the ID group) and higher sedentary time than in the TD group in the current study are consistent with previous accelerometer studies comparing youth with different disabilities and youth with TD in Europe and North America (Einarsson et al, 2015;Houwen et al, 2009;Nooijen et al, 2014;Obeid et al, 2014;Tyler et al, 2014). Furthermore, the finding that a low proportion of youth with disabilities met the PA recommendations is in line with previous findings in youth with various disabilities across the Western world (Bandini et al, 2013;Einarsson et al, 2015;Esposito et al, 2012;Gorter et al, 2012;Izquierdo-Gomez et al, 2014;Kozub, 2003;Mitchell et al, 2015b;Shields et al, 2009), indicating that low PA and high sedentary time in youth with disabilities is a widespread phenomenon, at least in developed countries.…”

“…That is, youth with cerebral palsy as well as youth with visual impairment were found to be less physically active than youth with TD (Houwen, Hartman, & Visscher, 2009;Nooijen, Slaman, Stam, Roebroeck, & Berg-Emons, 2014). Studies have reported lower levels of PA in youth with ID, Down syndrome, and ASDs than youth with TD (Einarsson et al, 2015;Tyler et al, 2014;Whitt-Glover et al, 2006), although other studies have not found any differences (Bandini et al, 2013;Roberts, 2007;Rosser Sandt & Frey, 2005). Even higher PA levels among youth with intellectual disabilities than among youth with TD have been reported (Roberts, 2007).…”

“…Youth with Down syndrome in Roberts' (2007) study also met recommendations on a similar proportion (44%). Furthermore, Rosser Sandt and Frey (2005) found that fewer youth with ASDs (67%) than youth with TD (92%) met the recommendations, whereas Bandini et al (2013) found no difference between youth with ASDs (23%) and youth with TD (43%) and Tyler et al (2014) found that all youth with ASDs (100%) and youth with TD (100%) met the recommendations. Hence, the results vary greatly across studies and types of disabilities and also vary across studies among youth with TD.…”

“…Previous accelerometer studies in youth with disabilities, however, show varying results regarding meeting these recommendations, such as between 0% and 25% of youth with cerebral palsy (Gorter, Noorduyn, Obeid, & Timmons, 2012;Mitchell, Ziviani, & Boyd, 2015b), between 0% and 50% of youth with intellectual disability (ID; Einarsson et al, 2015;Kozub, 2003;Roberts, 2007), between 23% and 100% of youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs; Bandini et al, 2013;Pan & Frey, 2006;Rosser Sandt & Frey, 2005;Tyler, MacDonald, & Menear, 2014), and between 21% and 93% of youth with Down syndrome (Esposito, MacDonald, Hornyak, & Ulrich, 2012;Izquierdo-Gomez et al, 2014;Roberts, 2007;Shields, Dodd, & Abblitt, 2009;Whitt-Glover, O'Neill, & Stettler, 2006).…”

“…Hence, the results vary greatly across studies and types of disabilities and also vary across studies among youth with TD. It should be noted, however, that only Bandini et al (2013) and Einarsson et al (2015) statistically tested for group differences.…”