Effectiveness of surf therapy for children with disabilities

Autor: Courtney N. Armitano, Emily D. Clapham, Linda S. Lamont, Shabnam Lateef, Minsuk K. Shim
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Developmental Disabilities
Physical fitness
Cerebral palsy
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Bone Density
medicine
Humans
Sports for Persons with Disabilities
030212 general & internal medicine
Muscle Strength
Range of Motion
Articular
Child
Exercise
Core strength
Upper body
business.industry
Cerebral Palsy
Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Water
Cardiorespiratory fitness
Total body
General Medicine
Body Fluid Compartments
medicine.disease
Disabled Children
Test (assessment)
Play and Playthings
Treatment Outcome
Adipose Tissue
Autism spectrum disorder
Physical Fitness
Physical therapy
Body Composition
Physical Endurance
Female
Down Syndrome
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Sports
Zdroj: Disability and health journal. 13(1)
ISSN: 1876-7583
Popis: Background Few researchers have examined the effects of surf programs on children with disabilities. Due to previous research findings, surfing is being used, as the focus of physical activity intervention due to its numerous health and therapeutic benefits. Objective/hypothesis The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an eight-week surfing intervention on various physical fitness measures in 71 children with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, global developmental delays, and cerebral palsy. The study also sought to compare the differences in overall fitness levels between the surf therapy group and an unstructured pool playgroup. Researchers predicted significant differences in the surf therapy group. Methods The assessment procedure consisted of pre and post physical fitness measures selected from the Brockport Physical Fitness Test in two groups: surfing (n = 71) and an unstructured aquatic program (n = 20). Results The results demonstrated significant improvements in core strength (p = 0.00), upper body strength (p = 0.00), flexibility (p = 0.01) and cardiorespiratory endurance (p = 0.00) in the surfing group. However, there were no significant differences in overall fitness levels between the surfing and unstructured pool playgroups. Body composition measurements on the surfing group demonstrated a significant reduction in total body fat % (p = 0.016) and fat free mass (p = 0.008) and a significant improvement in bone mineral density (p = 0.004) pre to post surf therapy. Conclusions This research demonstrated the effectiveness and physiological benefits of surf therapy for children with selected disabilities.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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