Organised and non-organised activities contribute to overall physical activity levels in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a cross-sectional study.
Teens and young adults with Down syndrome get equal total activity from organised sports and free play, so use both.
01Research in Context
What this study did
van der Miesen et al. (2024) asked how teens and young adults with Down syndrome move. They split movement into two buckets: organised sports and free play.
Each participant wore an activity tracker for one week. The tracker counted minutes of light, moderate, and vigorous movement.
What they found
Organised sports gave more vigorous minutes. Free play gave more light minutes. When the week ended, both buckets added up to the same total time.
In plain words: sports are intense but short; free play is gentle but steady. Together they balance out.
How this fits with other research
Dahan-Oliel et al. (2012) saw a drop in leisure activity when pre-term kids hit adolescence. R et al. show the same age window but find equal time, hinting that Down syndrome may buck the decline seen in other groups.
Keawutan et al. (2014) linked better motor skills to more activity in cerebral palsy. R et al. did not test motor skills, yet their equal-time result suggests Down-syndrome youth can reach daily targets through two routes instead of one.
Aznar et al. (2005) profiled cognitive scores in the same age band. Knowing verbal scores often top non-verbal scores helps us pick clear instructions for both organised and free-play sessions.
Why it matters
You do not have to choose between sports teams and playground time. Schedule both in the same week. Use short, high-energy games for vigorous minutes and longer, low-pressure choices like walking clubs for light minutes. Track totals, not type, to hit daily goals.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Participation in organised and non-organised physical activities among adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome is underexplored. This study aimed to examine differences between organised and non-organised physical activities among adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome. METHODS: Forty participants with Down syndrome (27 woman; mean age 21.4 ± 4.9 years) were recruited. Data on physical activity participation were collected by self- or proxy-reported questionnaires about attendance, involvement and type of physical activity. RESULTS: Adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome participated in more organised than non-organised activities (P < 0.05), more often (P < 0.05), but there was no difference in the total time spent participating in these activities overall. Participants spent more time in vigorous physical activity during organised activities (P < 0.05) and spent more time in light physical activity during non-organised physical activities (P < 0.05). Dancing (organised activity) and walking (non-organised activity) were the most reported activities. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in both organised and non-organised physical activities is important to increase overall physical activity levels of adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome. Future research exploring physical activity preferences may help guide the planning and adaption of community programmes for this group.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2024 · doi:10.1111/jir.13164