Physical Activity in Children with Disabilities

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2025) | Viewed by 1084

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
Interests: health promotion; children mobility; children with and without disabilities; psychomotor development; mobility devices

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
Interests: physical activity; participation; mobility and inclusion in children with complex communication and motor needs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Physical activity and play are integral to child development. The American Academy of Pediatrics published guidelines recommending that toddlers engage in three or more hours of physical activity a day and children ages three to seventeen benefit from sixty minutes of physical activity daily incorporating aerobic activity, muscle strengthening, and bone strengthening (Lobelo et al., 2020). When we narrow down the population to children with disabilities, the World Health Organization recommends guidelines for physical activity in children with disabilities that are in alignment with recommendations for children without disabilities (Carty et al., 2020). Case, Ross, and Yun (2020) report that despite these recommendations, only 19% of a sample of 3010 US students with disabilities were meeting these recommendations. Therefore, it is critical that research explores the facilitators and barriers to achieving appropriate amounts of physical activity to mitigate the development of comorbidities associated with a sedentary lifestyle but, more importantly, to improve the quality of life, health, and wellbeing of children with disabilities.

We are seeking research that explores this public health issue through the unique lenses of health care provision, environment, social justice, and the unique needs of the population of children with disabilities. It is our desire to provide a journal that explores this multifactorial issue and challenges health care providers to think creatively and explore strategies to meet this health care crisis.

References

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 Health18(1), 86-93.

Case, L., Ross, S., & Yun, J. (2020). Physical activity guideline compliance among a national sample of children with various developmental disabilities. Disability and Health Journal13(2), 100881.

Lobelo, F., Muth, N. D., Hanson, S., & Nemeth, B. A. (2020). Physical activity assessment and counseling in pediatric clinical settings. Pediatrics, 145(3), e20193992. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3992

Dr. Jennifer Tucker
Dr. Jeanette M. Garcia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • participation
  • mobility and inclusion in children with complex communication and motor needs

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 1465 KiB  
Article
The Effectiveness of Leg- and Arm-Powered Trike Training Among Children with Impaired Walking Ability—A Pilot Study
by Loredana Tschenett and Heiner Baur
Children 2025, 12(3), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12030382 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 396
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The GO-TRYKE® Kid (GTK®) is an arm- and leg-powered tricycle which, in addition to promoting strength, endurance, and coordination, aims to reactivate the central pattern generators of the spine for locomotion through cyclical movements. The present study investigated the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The GO-TRYKE® Kid (GTK®) is an arm- and leg-powered tricycle which, in addition to promoting strength, endurance, and coordination, aims to reactivate the central pattern generators of the spine for locomotion through cyclical movements. The present study investigated the effects of GTK® training on walking ability, GTK® riding performance, and health-related quality of life in children with walking disabilities. Methods: Nine children trained with the device twice a week for nine weeks. Short- and long-term effects on walking ability were measured using the timed up and go test (TUG) and the two-minute walk test (2MWT). GTK® riding performance and health-related quality of life were compared before and after the intervention period. Results: While no long-term effect on walking was found, a significant short-term effect on functional walking ability was observed (p = 0.009). GTK® riding performance improved significantly over the training period (p = 0.004). There were no significant changes in health-related quality of life. Conclusions: GTK® enables children with walking disabilities to participate in cycling as part of play and sport. Further research is required to investigate its functional and participatory effects, as there is significant potential to improve physical activity and overall well-being in this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity in Children with Disabilities)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1099 KiB  
Review
Gross Motor Performance, Participation and Quality of Life After Adapted Physical Activity Interventions in Pediatric Populations with Neuromotor Disability: A Systematic Review
by Silvia Faccioli, Avola Marianna, Mangano Giulia Rita Agata, Sghedoni Silvia and Sassi Silvia
Children 2025, 12(7), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12070815 - 21 Jun 2025
Viewed by 401
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Physical activity is generally recommended, but youth with disabilities present increased sedentary behaviors. This is often due to limited or inaccessible exercise options. The aim of this systematic review was to report on the state of knowledge about the role of adapted [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Physical activity is generally recommended, but youth with disabilities present increased sedentary behaviors. This is often due to limited or inaccessible exercise options. The aim of this systematic review was to report on the state of knowledge about the role of adapted physical activity (APA) in improving gross motor performance (query 1), participation and QoL (query 2) of children and adolescents with neurological motor disability. Methods: Pubmed, Scopus and Cinahl databases were enquired in October 2023 and updated in May 2025. Inclusion criteria were the following: any type of physical activity; pediatric subjects with any neuromotor disease; and any type of outcome measure regarding gross motor performance, participation or QoL. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed by means of ROB 2, Robins-I and JBI tools. Results were synthetized focusing on the outcome measures and the type of activity proposed. Results: Thirteen and seven studies were included relative to queries 1 and 2, respectively. They all were RCTs, and some presented randomization RoB. Several types of APA (e.g., resistance, high-intensity circuit, running, cycling, aquatic and dance training) and of outcome measures were enquired, mostly focusing on subjects with cerebral palsy or Down syndrome. An increased time of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, improvement in timed functional tests, muscle strength and stability were observed. Conclusions: APA may improve functioning, social participation and promote active lifestyle in pediatric persons with neuromotor disabilities, without adverse effects. In the future, more specific indications based on the functioning profile are advisable to orient professionals to define individualized safe training programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity in Children with Disabilities)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop