Preterm birth and leisure participation: a synthesis of the literature.
Preterm kids can learn skills, yet still quit sports and clubs later—so BCBAs should target social-environment fixes, not motor drills.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Dahan-Oliel et al. (2012) looked at every paper they could find on free-time activities of people born too early.
They compared school-age kids, teens, and young adults to peers born on time.
The team asked: who joins clubs, plays sports, or just hangs out with friends?
What they found
School-age preterm kids kept up with classmates.
By the teen years the gap opened: fewer joined teams, hobbies, or social groups.
Young adults moved even less, especially in sports or gym time.
How this fits with other research
Cunha et al. (2018) saw early warning signs. In babies born preterm, simple problem-solving toys were harder to master.
Jongbloed-Pereboom et al. (2017) found the opposite at middle-school age. Their preterm group learned finger-tapping sequences just as fast as peers.
Put together, the story is: basic learning stays intact, but real-world sticking with activities fades once social life gets complex.
Why it matters
You can relax about skill drills; the kids can learn. Focus on keeping them in the game.
Add peer buddies, simplify entry rules, and schedule shorter seasons.
Start these supports early in middle school before the dropout spike.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Leisure participation has been associated with happiness and well-being in children. Individuals born preterm are at greater risk for motor, cognitive and behavioral difficulties which may contribute to difficulties participating in leisure activities. This systematic review examined the current knowledge on participation in leisure activities in individuals born preterm throughout the lifespan as compared to term born controls. An electronic search of eight databases for articles published up to October 2011 was conducted. The quality of each study was assessed using a standardized checklist. Thirteen studies met the selection criteria. In school-age children, no significant differences were found in activity levels between children born prematurely and term born controls. In adolescents, leisure scores in social activities, hobbies and sports were statistically significantly lower compared to controls. In young adults, differences in frequency and intensity of physical activity were reported compared to term controls. Promoting participation in leisure activities should be encouraged at a young age and continued to adulthood by minimizing the gaps between capabilities and the demands of the tasks and the environment.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.011