Predictors of Change Over Time in the Activity Participation of Children and Youth With Physical Disabilities

Abstract

Little is known about predictors of change over time in the intensity of the leisure and recreational activity participation of children with physical disabilities. This study reports data from 402 children/ youth with physical disabilities (216 boys and 186 girls), ages 6 to 15, collected on three occasions over a 3-year period. Latent growth curve modeling was used to determine the significant child, family, and community predictors of change in the intensity of their participation in five types of activities (recreational, active physical, social, skill-based, and self-improvement). Differences in predictors were examined for boys versus girls, and older versus younger children. Significant predictors of change were found only for recreational and active physical activities. The findings indicate that factors associated with change in participation intensity are dependent on the type of activity, and vary as a function of children's sex and age. Implications for research and service delivery are discussed, including the importance of a contextualized, holistic, and developmental approach to intervention. Keywords participation; activity; longitudinal; leisure; recreation; children; disability The intensity of children's participation in leisure and recreational activities is associated with their well-being (Brown & Gordon, 1987;Larson & Verma, 1999). A variety of positive developmental processes and related outcomes result from participation in different types of activities, including improved school outcomes (Masten & Coatsworth, 1998) and greater social adjustment (i.e., fewer emotional and behavioral problems, reduced loneliness) (Sandler et al., 2004;Simpkins et al., 2005). There is a critical gap, however, in our knowledge of the factors that promote the participation of children with disabilities (Mancini et al., 2000). Their participation in everyday activities is a goal shared by parents, service providers, and organizations involved in children's Corresponding author: Dr. Gillian King (gking27@uwo.ca). NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptChild Health Care. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2009 November 9. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript rehabilitation . Remarkably, the factors that enable, promote, and reinforce the participation of children with physical disabilities have not been comprehensively studied.In comparison with peers without disabilities, adolescents and young adults with disabilities display less diverse participation (Margalit, 1981), greater participation in passive recreational activities (such as watching television) (Brown & Gordon, 1987), and less social participation (Stevenson et al., 1997). Furthermore, boys and girls with physical disabilities participate in different activities compared to their able-bodied peers (King et al., 2008). Little is known, however, about the influence of child, family, and environmental factors on changes over time in the intensity of children's participation in various activities, and about the...

Fitness, Fun and Friends through Participation in Preferred Physical Activities: Achievable for Children with Disabilities?

“…There were also gender differences in the participation profiles of the Dutch study by Bult et al (2010) and the Canadian study by King et al (2010), with boys having the highest scores for physical activities and girls having the highest scores for skill-based activities. The total participation frequency score, however, was somewhat higher in the present study compared with other studies (Bult, et al, 2010;Imms et al, 2008;King et al, 2009King et al, , 2010.…”

“…However, age has a different impact, with different profiles and development in different activity categories (King et al, 2010). Imms (2008) confirms this in her review on participation in leisure activities in children with CP, as do King et al (2009) in their systematic review of the determinants of participation in leisure activities. However, the pattern of age's influence on participation frequency is not one-dimensional.…”

“…Daily physical activity is thoroughly documented as an important part of children's everyday lives, both for health and for their development in general ( King et al, 2009;Kolle et al, 2009). The results of the present study showed that the two most frequently chosen activities were 1) informal activities such as football, basketball, and playing with balls or ropes and 2) bicycling on all type of bicycles, roller skating and skating.…”

“…Two standardised methods for data collection were applied: the CAPE and the PAC (King et al, 2009;King et al, 2006;King, Law, King, Hurley, Hanna, Kertoy, et al 2004). Both instruments are used in research as well as in clinical and educational practice in rehabilitation.…”

“…The CAPE generates knowledge on contextual factors and the experience of participation, The literature appears to agree that if an activity is going to be experienced as meaningful and engaging over time, it has to be enjoyable and self-initiated (Hammel et al, 2008;Heah et al, 2007;King et al, 2009;Palisano et al, 2010b). Children's interests are of great importance for participation in leisure activities in general, and in physical activity specifically, and should be seriously considered in rehabilitation interventions.…”