APAQ, 26(4), October 2009, Copyright © 2009
Do Children With Down Syndrome Perform
Sufficient Physical Activity to Maintain
Good Health? A Pilot Study
Nora Shields, Karen J. Dodd, Casey Abblitt
Abstract
Our pilot study investigated if children with Down syndrome engaged in the recommended
60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day. Twentythree
children with Down syndrome (7 girls, 16 boys; mean age 11.7 years, SD = 3.1)
wore a triaxial accelerometer for 7 consecutive days to measure their activity levels.
The average daily MVPA undertaken was 104.5 min (SD = 35.3 min). Only 8 of 19
children (42.1%) completed at least 60 min of MVPA each day. Lower amounts of
activity were associated with older children (r = -.67, p < .01). Parents, teachers, and
health professionals need to encourage children with Down syndrome to take part in
more frequent MVPA.
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