Physical Activity in Children with Disabilities

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 Health, 18(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 Journal, 13(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

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