School-based Physical Activity Intervention for Obesity Among Adolescents With Intellectual Disability in Hong Kong

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Obesity

Registration Number: NCT04463069

Lead Sponsor: Hong Kong Baptist University

Brief Summary: Considering that children with intellectual disability (ID) might be more vulnerable to obesity than their counterparts in the general population. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted physical activity (APA) program in reducing weight among adolescents with ID. The hypothesis of the study was the APA program would be able to decrease obesity among adolescents with ID.

Detailed Description: Background: Children with intellectual disability (ID) might be more vulnerable to obesity than their counterparts in the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted physical activity (APA) program in reducing weight among adolescents with ID.

Methods: A 9-month randomized controlled trial of a school-based APA program was conducted in adolescents with ID and overweight/obesity in Hong Kong. The intervention group received the APA program which consisted of endurance and strength-building exercises at a frequency of two sessions per week, while the control group received routine PE classes as usual. Data on obesity-related variables were collected before the intervention, at the midpoint of the intervention and after the intervention. Linear mixed-effect models were used to examine the intervention effects.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 86

Inclusion Criteria

aged between 12 and 18 years
overweight and obesity
mild or moderate intellectual disability

Exclusion Criteria

physical disability
medical predispositions towards obesity (genetic syndrome or drug treatment)
contraindications (e.g. asthma, heart disease)
having participated in other exercise programs in the past 6 months.

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
BMI Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	The primary outcome variable was change in BMI (weight (kg) / height2 (m)) that was further calculated from the height and weight measured at school in the morning time. Height was measured to the nearest 0.1 cm using a stadiometer and weight was measured to the nearest 0.1 kg on a TANITA digital scale (TBF-410) with the subject wearing lightweight clothing and no shoes.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Weight Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	Weight was measured to the nearest 0.1 kg on a calibrated TANITA digital scale (TBF-410) with the subject wearing lightweight clothing and no shoes.
BMIz Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	The BMIz was converted from the BMI values using WHO 2007 reference standards. A z-score of 0 is equal to the mean and is considered normal. Lower numbers indicate values lower than the mean and higher numbers indicate values higher than the mean. Higher values denote a higher BMI.
Percent Body Fat Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	Percent body fat was measured with the TANITA digital scale (TBF-410) using foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Waist Circumference Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	Waist circumference (cm) was measured with a flexible meter ribbon accurate to 0.1 cm at the midway between the lowest rib margin and the top of the iliac crest at the end of gentle expiration
Waist-to-height Ratio Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	Waist-to-height ratio was calculated by dividing the waist circumference by the height.
Muscular Strength and Endurance Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	The muscular strength and endurance were measured by handgrip strength and sit-ups. The handgrip strength was measured using a dynamometer (Takei, TKK5001, GRIP-A digital dynamometer). The sit-ups measured the total number of correctly completed sit-ups performed in 30 seconds.
Flexibility Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	Flexibility was measured by the sit-and-reach test.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness Change	Change from baseline at 4 months and 9 months	Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the 9-minute run/walk test. The test measured how far a person can cover a flat surface 25 meters in length over a 9-minute period.