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Bainbridge D1,2, Sadowsky M3
1Special Olympics International, Special Olympics Health, Washington, United States, 2University of Montana, Rural Institute on Inclusive Communitieis, Missoula, Uzbekistan, 3Special Olympics International, Research Department, Washington, United States
Background: Special Olympics Healthy Athletes (HA) provides health services and education to SO athletes. Free health screenings, healthcare professional training, and evaluation of health status of persons with intellectual disabilities (ID), makes Healthy Athletes a powerful public health system.
FUNfitness, the physical therapy component of HA, assesses fitness of SO athletes. FUNfitness examines flexibility; functional strength; balance and aerobic condition. Physical therapists, related professionals and students offer guidance and exercise recommendations to reduce injury risk and improve function in sports and life.
However, fitness profiles of athletes by gender, age and global region have not been developed.
Purpose:
1. To define gender and age-based fitness profiles for SO athletes
2. To define fitness profiles of SO athletes by global region
3. To demonstrate how profiles can direct fitness program planning and training.
Methods: Fitness screening data from 12,756 athletes who completed FUNfitness in 2017 was analyzed. Age ranged from 8 to 60+ years from all SO regions. Fitness data was analyzed for variables of gender, age, and global region (Africa, Asia Pacific (AP), East Asia (EA), Europe Eurasia (EE), Latin America (LA), Middle East North Africa (MENA), North America (NA).
Results: From the age range of 8-19 years, athletes demonstrated problems with flexibility (56%), strength (59%) and balance (64%). These percentages increased by a total of 20% until age 60. Although strength and flexibility issues decreased slightly > age 60, balance problems increased another 5%. Those in youngest and oldest age groups exercised the least number of days; those between 20-60 years exercised more regularly (50-57% > three days). Males had higher flexibility issues (52 vs 49%) while females had greater balance issues (39 vs 35%) and higher reported falls (15 vs 11%). Global differences were also noted. Athletes from Africa had issues with strength (91%) and balance (83%) with high rates for no regular exercise (37%). Athletes from AP had greatest problems with balance (81%) and strength (72%) with 79% reporting weekly exercise. EA athletes had greatest issue with balance (75%) but similar issue with strength (58%) and flexibility (55%); > 81% had regular exercise. Athletes in EE had greatest issue with flexibility (74%), equal problem with strength and balance (55%) but high rates of weekly exercise (84%). LA athletes had problems in all areas (flexibility 59%; strength 74%, balance 69%) with high percentages of weekly exercise (94%). MENA athletes had mostly strength issues (96%), with moderate exercise only (83%). NA athletes had equal problems with flexibility and balance (74%), less with strength (62%) and high rates of exercise (95%).
Conclusion(s): Athletes with ID have lifelong problems with flexibility, strength and balance, but less issue with regular physical activity. Issues were different in males and females and with age and global environment.
Implications: The value of fitness programming is its specificity for the issues identified in the athlete. By outlining the issues noted, these profiles will assist physical therapist to more specifically assess and design fitness programs and training for athletes with ID.
Keywords: Fitness, Intellectual Disability, NCD
Funding acknowledgements: Research supported by Cooperative Agreement 5NU27DD001156 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data collection supported by the Golisano Foundation.
FUNfitness, the physical therapy component of HA, assesses fitness of SO athletes. FUNfitness examines flexibility; functional strength; balance and aerobic condition. Physical therapists, related professionals and students offer guidance and exercise recommendations to reduce injury risk and improve function in sports and life.
However, fitness profiles of athletes by gender, age and global region have not been developed.
Purpose:
1. To define gender and age-based fitness profiles for SO athletes
2. To define fitness profiles of SO athletes by global region
3. To demonstrate how profiles can direct fitness program planning and training.
Methods: Fitness screening data from 12,756 athletes who completed FUNfitness in 2017 was analyzed. Age ranged from 8 to 60+ years from all SO regions. Fitness data was analyzed for variables of gender, age, and global region (Africa, Asia Pacific (AP), East Asia (EA), Europe Eurasia (EE), Latin America (LA), Middle East North Africa (MENA), North America (NA).
Results: From the age range of 8-19 years, athletes demonstrated problems with flexibility (56%), strength (59%) and balance (64%). These percentages increased by a total of 20% until age 60. Although strength and flexibility issues decreased slightly > age 60, balance problems increased another 5%. Those in youngest and oldest age groups exercised the least number of days; those between 20-60 years exercised more regularly (50-57% > three days). Males had higher flexibility issues (52 vs 49%) while females had greater balance issues (39 vs 35%) and higher reported falls (15 vs 11%). Global differences were also noted. Athletes from Africa had issues with strength (91%) and balance (83%) with high rates for no regular exercise (37%). Athletes from AP had greatest problems with balance (81%) and strength (72%) with 79% reporting weekly exercise. EA athletes had greatest issue with balance (75%) but similar issue with strength (58%) and flexibility (55%); > 81% had regular exercise. Athletes in EE had greatest issue with flexibility (74%), equal problem with strength and balance (55%) but high rates of weekly exercise (84%). LA athletes had problems in all areas (flexibility 59%; strength 74%, balance 69%) with high percentages of weekly exercise (94%). MENA athletes had mostly strength issues (96%), with moderate exercise only (83%). NA athletes had equal problems with flexibility and balance (74%), less with strength (62%) and high rates of exercise (95%).
Conclusion(s): Athletes with ID have lifelong problems with flexibility, strength and balance, but less issue with regular physical activity. Issues were different in males and females and with age and global environment.
Implications: The value of fitness programming is its specificity for the issues identified in the athlete. By outlining the issues noted, these profiles will assist physical therapist to more specifically assess and design fitness programs and training for athletes with ID.
Keywords: Fitness, Intellectual Disability, NCD
Funding acknowledgements: Research supported by Cooperative Agreement 5NU27DD001156 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data collection supported by the Golisano Foundation.
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Intellectual disability; Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) & risk factors
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Special Olympics International
Ethics committee: Research Department
Reason not required: Previously collected data that was totally anonymous was analyzed. Consent provided by athlete and legal guardian for use of data.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
