EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE FOR ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

ABSTRACT The literature presents the benefits of physical activity programs for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), but aspects such as those related to physical exercise prescription, benefits of the type of exercise program, the most recommended exercises, load control, and limitations of the interventions for adults with ID are subjects awaiting scientific research. The aim of this study was to verify, through a systematic review, the effects of physical activity programs for adults with ID. The procedure included an electronic search of the literature published from January 1960 to August 2014, considering terms related to physical activity, ID, and physical activity programs. Eight manuscripts met the eligibility criteria and were included in the study. Based on the systematic review, we found a limited number of studies that investigated, in a structured way, the effect of physical activity programs for adults with ID. In general, the systematized programs of physical exercise promoted consistent and significant benefits for adults with ID. However, there seems to be no consensus on the type of intervention to be used to promote the practice of physical activity in adults with ID. In addition, the methodological quality of the studies appears to be limited. We conclude that intervention studies with physical activity in adults with ID that involve aerobic exercise, sports specialization, and a combination of muscular and aerobic exercise performed two or three times a week for more than 40 minutes seem to be the most highly recommended for adults with ID.

摘要
现有文献已证实运动干预方案对智力障碍（intellectual disabilities，ID）人群的益处，但诸如运动处方制定、不同运动方案的获益差异、最优推荐运动类型、运动负荷调控以及成人智力障碍人群干预措施局限性等相关议题，仍有待进一步科学研究。本研究旨在通过系统综述的方法，探究运动干预方案对成人智力障碍人群的干预效果。研究方法涵盖了1960年1月至2014年8月期间发表的文献的电子检索，检索词涵盖运动、智力障碍以及运动干预方案相关术语。最终共有8篇符合纳入标准的文献被纳入本研究。通过本次系统综述分析发现，以结构化方式探究成人智力障碍人群运动干预效果的研究数量有限。总体而言，标准化运动干预方案可对成人智力障碍人群产生稳定且显著的积极效益。但目前针对适配成人智力障碍人群的运动干预类型尚未形成统一共识。此外，现有研究的方法学质量普遍有待提升。我们得出结论：针对成人智力障碍人群，采用包含有氧运动、专项运动以及肌力量训练与有氧运动结合的内容、且每周进行2~3次、每次时长超过40分钟的运动干预方案，是目前最值得推荐的干预方式。