Physical Activity Promotion for People with disabilities
There is strong evidence that health promotion interventions can increase physical activity levels in people with disabilities.
A review by Public Health England found that regular guidance and prompting from healthcare professionals, peer support, motivational interviewing, goal setting, action planning, music during activity, take-home videos, and positive attitudes towards activity can effectively help disabled adults start and sustain an active lifestyle (Smith et al, 2018).
The CDC states that any amount of physical activity that gets the heart beating faster can improve health for people with disabilities (CDC, 2022).
Health promotion interventions tailored to the individual's disability, interests and abilities, with support from professionals and peers, can effectively increase physical activity levels in people with disabilities and provide important health and social benefits.
References and Further Reading
Borland, R. L., Hu, N., Tonge, B., Einfeld, S., & Gray, K. M. (2020). Participation in sport and physical activity in adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64(12), 908-922. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12782
Burns, J., Carter, A., Draper, S., & Foad, A. (2022). Engaging and sustaining people with intellectual disabilities in physical activity: A narrative review of existing evidence. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2022.2149096
Carbone, P. S., Smith, P. J., Lewis, C., & LeBlanc, C. (2021). Promoting the participation of children and adolescents with disabilities in sports, recreation, and physical activity. Pediatrics, 148(6). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-054664
Carty, C., van der Ploeg, H. P., Biddle, S. J., Bull, F., Willumsen, J., Lee, L., ... & Milton, K. (2021). The first global physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines for people living with disability. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 18(1), 86-93. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2020-0629
CDC (2022) Physical Activity for People with Disability https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/features/physical-activity-for-all.html
Cunningham, C., O’Donoghue, G., Cosgrave, S., Sands, T., Leacy, B., Markievicz, I., ... & Shields, N. (2023). Gym staff perspectives on disability inclusion: a qualitative study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45(3), 441-448. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2036826
Ginis, K. A. M., van der Ploeg, H. P., Foster, C., Lai, B., McBride, C. B., Ng, K., ... & Heath, G. W. (2021). Participation of people living with disabilities in physical activity: a global perspective. The Lancet, 398(10298), 443-455. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01164-8
Heath, G. W., & Levine, D. (2022). Physical activity and public health among people with disabilities: Research gaps and recommendations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), 10436. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph191610436
Kreinbucher-Bekerle, C., Ruf, W., Bartholomeyczik, A., Wieber, F., & Kiselev, N. (2023). Recommending physical activity for people with intellectual disabilities: The relevance of public health guidelines, physical activity behaviour and type of contact. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(8), 5544. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085544
Leung, W., Sung, M. C., Lee, J., Jung, J., Fiscella, N., & Shi, L. (2024). Comparison of Participation in Strength Activity Among People With and Without Disabilities: 2013–2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 1(aop), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0109
Martin Ginis, K. A., & West, C. R. (2021). From guidelines to practice: development and implementation of disability-specific physical activity guidelines. Disability and Rehabilitation, 43(24), 3432-3439. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1757167
Mogo, E., Badillo, I., Majnemer, A., Duckworth, K., Kennedy, S., Symington, V., & Shikako-Thomas, K. (2020). Using a rapid review process to engage stakeholders, inform policy and set priorities for promoting physical activity and leisure participation for children with disabilities in British Columbia. Leisure/Loisir, 44(2), 225-253. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2020.1760121
Monforte, J., Smith, M., & Smith, B. (2022). Designing a programme to train social workers on how to promote physical activity for disabled people: A Delphi study in the UK. Health & social care in the community, 30(5), e2805-e2817. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13724
Nutsch, N., Bruland, D., & Latteck, Ä. D. (2022). Promoting physical activity in everyday life of people with intellectual disabilities: An intervention overview. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 26(4), 990-1014. https://doi.org/10.1177/17446295211026499
Pedersen, M. R. L., Hansen, A. F., & Elmose-Østerlund, K. (2021). Motives and barriers related to physical activity and sport across social backgrounds: implications for health promotion. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(11), 5810. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115810
Ristevski, E., McCook, F., Thompson, S., Duncan, Z., Lawler, B., & Broxham, C. (2024). Initiatives to facilitate the social inclusion of people with intellectual disability in physical activities with others in community‐based sporting, recreation and leisure activities: A scoping review. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 37(3), e13238. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13238
Sit, C., Aubert, S., Carty, C., Silva, D. A. S., López-Gil, J. F., Asunta, P., ... & Ng, K. (2022). Promoting physical activity among children and adolescents with disabilities: the translation of policy to practice internationally. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 19(11), 758-768. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2022-0351
Smith, B., Kirby, N., Skinner, B., Wightman, L., Lucas, R., & Foster, C. (2018). Physical activity for general health benefits in disabled adults: Summary of a rapid evidence review for the UK Chief Medical Officers’ update of the physical activity guidelines. London: Public Health England. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5bc0abf9e5274a36388e6ed5/Physical_activity_for_general_health_benefits_in_disabled_adults.pdf
Smith, B., & Wightman, L. (2021). Promoting physical activity to disabled people: messengers, messages, guidelines and communication formats. Disability and rehabilitation, 43(24), 3427-3431. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1679896
Smith, B., Mallick, K., Monforte, J., & Foster, C. (2021). Disability, the communication of physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and ableism: a call for inclusive messages. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(20), 1121-1122.
van Lindert, C., Scheerder, J., & Brittain, I. (2023). Introduction: Sport participation a Human Right for Persons with a Disability. In The Palgrave Handbook of Disability Sport in Europe: Policies, Structures and Participation (pp. 1-23). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21759-3_1
Yoo, P. Y., Mogo, E. R., McCabe, J., Bergthorson, M., Elekanachi, R., Cardoso, R., ... & Shikako, K. (2022). The effect of context-based interventions at the systems-level on participation of children with disabilities: a systematic review. Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 42(5), 542-565. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2022.2051675