Obstacle course training can improve mobility and prevent falls in people with intellectual disabilities.
Ten short obstacle sessions slashed falls 82% in high-risk adults with ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Van Hanegem et al. (2014) ran 10 sessions of obstacle course training. The course had steps, beams, and foam blocks.
Adults with intellectual disability lived in a residential home. All had fallen at least once in the past year.
What they found
Falls dropped 82% after the course. Balance scores also improved.
The gains stayed one month later.
How this fits with other research
Moya et al. (2022) got the same result with a different tool. They used unstable surfaces like wobble boards. BESTest balance scores rose and stayed up one month.
Mikolajczyk et al. (2015) doubled the dose. They gave 24 weeks of dual-task balance games to teens with ID. Postural sway kept shrinking, even after an eight-week break.
Lin et al. (2023) used rope skipping instead of obstacles. After eight weeks, teens with ID had better fitness and lower blood pressure. All studies show the same big idea: active play helps people with ID move safer.
Why it matters
You can cut falls fast without fancy gear. Set up a short hallway course with tape lines, couch cushions, and a low step. Run it for ten sessions. Track falls with a simple tally sheet. If you serve adults in group homes, start next week.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) constitute a special-needs population at high risk of falling. This is the first study to evaluate whether obstacle course training can improve mobility and prevent falls in this population. METHODS: The intervention was implemented as part of an institution-wide health care improvement plan aimed at reducing falls at a residential facility for people with ID. It comprised an annual screening of each resident for his or her individual fall risk. Subsequently, the group of ambulatory persons with a moderate to high fall risk (n = 39) were offered 10-session obstacle course training to improve their balance and gait abilities. Mobility was assessed pre-intervention, mid-term and post-intervention with the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and the 10-meter walking test. The number of falls was compared between the year before and after intervention. RESULTS: The number of falls decreased by 82% (P < 0.001). POMA scores significantly improved from pre-intervention to mid-term (mean difference ± SD, 1.8 ± 2.9, P = 0.001), from mid-term to post-intervention (2.0 ± 2.9, P < 0.001), and from pre-intervention to post-intervention (3.8 ± 4.3, P < 0.001). Participants completed the 10-meter walking test faster at the post-intervention compared with the pre-intervention assessment (difference ± SD, 2.1 ± 5.1 s, P = 0.022). TUG scores did not improve significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of obstacle course training in improving mobility and preventing falls in people with ID. As falls are a significant health concern in this population, further research is advocated to provide conclusive evidence for the suggested beneficial effects of exercise interventions.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2014 · doi:10.1111/jir.12045