Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Physical Activity and Reduce Sedentary Behaviour in Children and Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Plain exercise programs produce small but reliable boosts in movement and cuts in sitting time for youth with intellectual disabilities.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Wang et al. (2026) pooled five randomized trials of exercise programs for kids and teens with intellectual disabilities. Four trials used exercise alone. One added health education and diet. The team ran a meta-analysis to see if the programs raised physical activity and cut sitting time.
What they found
The meta-analysis showed small but real gains. Kids who exercised moved more and sat less than control peers. The effect was modest, yet it held across all five trials.
How this fits with other research
Page et al. (2020) reviewed fitness trackers and self-monitoring. They found lots of apps but no clear winner. Aiwei’s work narrows the field: plain exercise already works for youth with ID; you can add tech later.
Pan et al. (2016) used table-tennis with kids who have ADHD. They saw bigger jumps in executive function than Aiwei saw in ID. The difference: ADHD sample was smaller and used a single sport. The meta-analysis shows smaller, but broader, gains across disabilities.
Wheatley et al. (1978) used biofeedback plus candy to turn activity up or down in two kids. The old study got large, quick changes. Aiwei’s exercise programs moved the needle less, but the change stuck for weeks. Speed versus durability is the trade-off.
Why it matters
You don’t need fancy gear. Scheduled games, walks, or bike rides already give measurable gains for clients with ID. Start with three 20-minute sessions per week, track steps with a simple tally sheet, and reinforce attendance. Build the habit first; add tech only if motivation fades.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities often do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB). Evidence-based recommendations for effective interventions are lacking. This study aimed to review existing interventions and identify effective components for this population. METHODS: A systematic search of Web of Science, Medline, ERIC, Ovid and SPORTDiscus was conducted from their inception to February 2023, to identify eligible articles according to a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Revised Tool to Assess Risk of Bias in Randomized Trials (RoB 2.0) was used to assess risk of bias in the included studies. The random-effects model was used to pool the weighted results and the I2 statistic was applied to assess heterogeneity of the included studies. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials were included in this review. Regarding intervention components, four trials exclusively used exercise, whilst the other one combined exercise with health education and diet. The meta-analysis demonstrated that interventions were effective at increasing PA (3.73 min, Z = 4.44, 95% CI [2.09, 5.38], p < 0.00001) and decreasing SB (-15.31 min, Z = 2.59, 95% CI [-26.90, -3.72], p = 0.01), compared with control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise was an effective intervention component in promoting PA and reducing SB in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The findings of this study provided preliminary evidence for decision-making in PA promotion and SB reduction in the target population.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2026 · doi:10.1111/jir.70093