Exercise Intervention Research on Persons with Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to provide a comprehensive review of the exercise intervention literature on persons with physical and cognitive disabilities. Electronic searches were conducted to identify research articles published from 1986 to 2006. Of the 80 physical activity/exercise interventions identified in the literature, only 32 were randomized controlled trials. The remaining studies were nonrandomized controlled trials with (n = 16) and without (n = 32) a control group. There was a mixture of exercise training modalities that involved aerobic (26%), strength (25%), and combined aerobic and strength (23%) exercises, but there were no overlapping studies using the same dose of exercise for any of the 11 disability groups. Almost half the studies targeted stroke (20%), multiple sclerosis (15%), and intellectual disability (13%), with significantly fewer studies targeting other disability groups. The current literature on exercise and disability is extremely broad in scope and has limited generalizability to any specific disability group. A new body of evidence is needed with stronger research designs that adhere to precise dosing characteristics for key health outcomes (e.g., pain/fatigue reduction, improved cardiorespiratory health). Multicenter trials will be needed for low-prevalence populations to strengthen research designs and increase generalizability of study findings.

Interventions to promote physical activity for youth with intellectual disabilities

“…Physical activity intervention research design should be based on established behavior theory, particularly conceptualization of the problem and defining the target behavior that will be modified. 17,44 An increase in the number of randomized control trials is needed, 14 but studies using this design must address quality control in design and reporting to ensure usability of findings. 15,17 Finally, there are many challenges to conducting large-scale interventions in youth with intellectual disabilities, so researchers are encouraged to develop multi-site collaborative projects to increase sample size, strengthen research design and improve generalizability of findings.…”

Physical activity in persons with late effects of polio: A descriptive study

“…The recommendations for PA comprise able-bodied persons as well as those with disabilities, even though there is limited evidence associated with the benefits of PA in certain disability groups (6). It has been shown that only 38% of adults with a disability meet the international recommendations for PA compared to 49% in those without disability (7).…”

Health Care Provider Practices, Barriers, and Facilitators for Weight Management for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders

“…Although some interventions exist for the SCI/D population (eg, EatRight SCI 10 and Project Shake It Up 11 ), studies discuss important systems-level barriers, including a lack of targeted interventions for persons with SCI/D 12 and a lack of evidence-based guidelines on weight management in this population. 13 Providers may experience difficulty discussing weight concerns with patients; providers who also struggle with weight issues may be less likely to discuss weight management strategies with overweight/obese patients.…”