Article

OBJECTIVE: To use dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure the effects
of a 16-week community-based swim training program on percent body fat in
children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). DESIGN: Convenience
sample. SETTING: University sport complex and exercise science laboratory.
PARTICIPANTS: Children and adolescents (n=8; mean age +/- SD, 13.1 +/- 3.4 y), 2
girls and 6 boys with ID, of varying fat levels (11%-35%). INTERVENTION: A swim
training program lasting for the duration of 16 weeks with three 1-hour sessions
held at a 25-m pool each week. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Assessing percent body fat
at pretest and posttest through the use of DXA. RESULTS: After the 16-week
exercise training program, we observed a 1.2% median increase in body fat
percentage with a range from -0.3% to 4.5%. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks
tests suggest that these results are statistically significant (P=.039; exact).
CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training alone proved ineffectual in reducing percent body
fat in 8 children and adolescents with ID. Further research should consider
implementing a combined diet and exercise program. To gauge the effectiveness of
intervention programs, valid methods and complex measurement tools such as DXA
should be used to assess changes in percent body fat in such a heterogeneous
population.
CI - Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS