Jing Qi

To systematically summarise and analyse published research, which assessed balance control deficiencies of children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) in various balance domains by comparing their performance with that of typically developing (TD) peers. This study followed PRISMA principles and conducted a systematic search in six electronic databases in May 2025, including PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, EBSCO, LILACS, Cochrane Library, PEDro and Embase. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network checklist, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed via the GRADE approach. The meta-analysis was performed via RevMan 5.4. Descriptive analysis was performed if the data were insufficient. Fifteen studies were included and eight of which were pooled for meta-analysis. Children and adolescents with ID had poorer balance control than their TD peers. Specific to the various balance domains, individuals with ID presented substantially more difficulties in sensory orientation (eyes open: SMD = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.69 to 1.09, p < 0.001; eyes closed: SMD = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.62, p < 0.001) and limits of stability (SMD = -0.91, 95% CI: -1.09 to -0.73, p < 0.001). They also encountered more hardships in gait stability (SMD = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.78, p < 0.001). For domain of anticipatory postural adjustments, inconsistent results were obtained. Children and adolescents with ID have deficient balance control ability than their TD peers. More researches are needed to comprehensively assess various domain of balance in this target group, especially those with longitudinal designs.

Background: Compared with typically developing (TD) children and youth, those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present more balance deficits. However, the understanding of which specific balance areas are affected remains incomplete at present. Methods: Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and EBSCO from the establishment of the database to March 17, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed through Review Manager software, and a narrative description of the results was used if the data could not be pooled for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 16 studies were included, with six being suitable for meta-analysis. The research indicated that individuals with ASD showed poorer balance control compared with TD peers. Specifically, the ASD group faced significant difficulties in sensory orientation and demonstrated deficiencies in verticality and anticipatory postural adjustments. Conclusions: Children and youth with ASD exhibit impairments in balance control across different domains compared with their TD peers. More research is needed to comprehensively assess the balance control construct in this population, including studies with longitudinal designs in particular. The PROSPERO Registration: The protocol of this systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration no. CRD42024553855; registration date 15 June 2024; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024553855).

Background and purpose: Emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs) are the two main forms of mental health problems that hinder the social interactions, learning and daily living of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID). Studies have shown that sufficient moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with mental health outcomes among children and adolescents with typically developing (TD). However, these associations have not been fully studied in children and adolescent with ID, especially in samples from China. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between MVPA and EBPs in Chinese children and adolescents with ID. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 116 students with ID (35.34% girls) aged 6–18 years. The wGT3-BT accelerometer was used to measure physical activity (PA), and the Chinese version of the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess the participants’ EBPs. A series of binary logical regression analyses was conducted to examine the ability of the MVPA guideline attainment in predicting EBPs in the total sample. Results: The descriptive results showed that 43.97% of children and adolescents with ID present with EBPs. After controlling for age, sex, ID severity and weight status, logistic regression analysis indicated that the participants who meet the MVPA guideline exhibited significantly lower odds ratio for emotional symptoms (OR = 0.334, 95% CI [0.114–0.975], p = 0.045), peer problems (OR = 0.071, 95% CI [0.015–0.328], p < 0.001) and total difficulties (OR = 0.192, 95% CI [0.069–0.535], p = 0.002) compared with those who did not meet the guidelines. Conclusion: The prevalence of EBPs in Chinese children and adolescents with ID remains high. Children and adolescents with ID meeting the MVPA guideline were more likely to have lower risks for emotional symptoms, peer problems and total difficulties than those who did not meet the guidelines. Future research adopting longitudinal or interventional designs to determine the relationships between PA and EBPs in this population are expected.

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at a high risk for a lack of physical activity (PA). The aim of this study is to review the evidence on the correlates of PA in children and adolescents with ASD in low- and middle-income countries. We searched Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (PBSC), Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science (WOS), MEDLINE, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Education Source (ES), and Academic Search Premier (ASP) databases for relevant studies until April 2022, inclusive, to examine the factors associated with the studies of PA in children and adolescents with ASD aged 5 to 17 years in low- and middle-income countries. A total of 15 articles are included in the present review. Three researchers assessed the methodological quality and extracted relevant data of the included reviews. The correlates were synthesized and further assessed semi-quantitatively. Results of this review show that gender (boys) and more PA opportunities were positively associated with the PA of children and adolescents with ASD, while age and body mass index (BMI) were negatively related to their PA levels in low- and middle-income countries. The day of week was found to be inconsistently associated with PA in children and adolescents with ASD. The findings suggest that research on the correlates of PA in adolescents with ASD in low- and middle-income countries is limited. However, there are clear correlates for which future interventions could be based (age, gender, BMI, and PA opportunity) to promote PA participation in children and adolescents with ASD in low- and middle-income countries.

Higher physical activity (PA) levels will obtain more health-related benefits for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID). The mastery of fundamental movement skills (FMS) potentially correlates with PA. This study aimed to examine the associations of FMS with moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) levels in children and adolescents with moderate to severe ID. Moreover, this research analyzes whether there are gender and age differences in the association between these two variables. A total of 93 children and adolescents with ID, aged 8–17 years (mean age = 13.27; SD = 3.35), were recruited from a special school located in western China. The time spent in MVPA was measured using waist-worn accelerometers. FMS proficiency was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development 2 (TGMD-2). Children and adolescents with ID tend to have delayed maturity of FMS patterns (locomotor skills t (92) = −16.91, p < 0.001, d = 2.48; object control skills t (92) = −25.39, p < 0.001, d = 3.72; total FMS t (92) = −21.83, p < 0.001, d = 3.20) and lower proficiency in objective control skills (t (92) = 3.989, p < 0.001, d = 0.29). A significant positive correlation was found between MVPA and FMS, and this association was moderated by gender and age. For boys, object control skills were a significant predictor of MVPA time (B = 0.842, p < 0.01), whereas locomotor skills were a significant predictor of MVPA time (B = 0.472, p < 0.05) for girls. For children with ID, object control skills were a significant predictor of MVPA time (B = 0.736, p < 0.05). Proficiency in FMS has a positive effect on increasing the level of MVPA in children and adolescents with ID. Gender and age factors should be considered when implementing FMS intervention programs.

Although children and adolescents with hearing impairment are at risks of falls from balance problems, reliable information on effects of interventions are scare. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to systematically summarize studies on the evidence of interventions to improve balance ability in children and adolescents with hearing impairment. A systematic literature search was conducted on five major electronic databases. Studies were included if: 1) interventions or trials focusing on improving balance in children and adolescents with hearing impairment; 2) research targeting children with hearing impairment (samples with a mean age below 18 years); 3) studies were published in English peer-reviewed journals due to language barriers and resource limitations; and 4) study designs were randomized controlled trial or quasi-experiment. A nine-item tool adapted from the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials Statement was used to assess the quality of the studies. Through the search strategy, 373 articles were identified, and 15 studies published between 1981 and 2021 met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies reviewed were categorized as medium or low quality, and only three were identified as high quality. Exercise interventions were adopted in 80% of the included studies, whereas studies that employed music + vibration, motor, and game as the intervention modalities accounted for the remaining 20.0%. The results of this review showed that the included trials with exercise interventions had a positive influence on the balance among children and adolescents with hearing impairment (the post-intervention scores were significantly higher than the pre-intervention or the control group scores). In addition, the interventions with duration of 8–16 weeks were more effective than those with less than 8 weeks. However, due to most of the reviewed studies were of low methodological quality, the trials results analyzed by this systematic review should be interpreted with caution. Further investigations of high-quality studies are therefore needed to prove the effectiveness of interventions on improving balance performance in children and adolescents with hearing impairment.Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], PROSPERO [308803].

Background: Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) have low levels of physical activity (PA). Understanding factors influencing the PA participation of this population is essential to the design of effective interventions. The purposes of this study were to identify and map the barriers and facilitators of PA participation among children and adolescents with ID. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with established methodology. Articles were evaluated for relevance using predetermined inclusion criteria in eight databases. Extracted barriers and facilitators were classified using the social ecological model as individual, interpersonal, or environmental factors. Results: Thirty-two studies published between 1992 and 2020 were included (24 quantitative, 6 qualitative, and 2 mixed-method). Thirty-four factors were identified. The most commonly reported barriers included disability-specific factors, low self-efficacy, lack of parental support, inadequate or inaccessible facilities, and lack of appropriate programs. The most commonly reported facilitators included high self-efficacy, enjoyment of PA, sufficient parental support, social interaction with peers, attending school physical education (PE) classes, and adapted PA programs. Conclusions: Continued exploration of factors influencing PA participation is required among children and adolescents with ID. Future interventions should involve families, schools, and wider support network in promoting their PA participation together.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the beliefs of Chinese children with physical disabilities engaging in sports and physical activity (PA), and the impact of the Paralympic Games on these beliefs. Five Chinese children with physical disabilities (female = 2, male = 3) were recruited for participating in the workshops of the Paralympic Games and PA, and received individual semi-structured interviews before and after the workshop implementations. Interview transcripts were analysed and presented as descriptive summaries. Three themes emerged based on the analysis of the participants’ interview data: (1) shocked, knowledgeable, and useful; (2) willingness to try, and (3) hope to obtain support. Results indicated that children with physical disabilities in this study acknowledged the positive outcomes of participating in the workshops of the Paralympic Games on the sports and PA engagement attitude change. However, children with disabilities also expressed that they need more related knowledge and information. The results of the study revealed that impairment and contextual factors (i.e., lack of support from family and physical education teachers, unsafe environments, and negative attitudes of peers without disabilities) were barriers to sports and PA engagement among children with physical disabilities in this study.

Background and Objective: The benefits of physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents with disabilities are well documented, and children and adolescents with visual impairments (VI) engage in less PA than their sighted peers. Two reviews have summarized studies on PA of children and adolescents with VI, but no systematic review with semi-quantitative assessment has been conducted to specifically identify the correlates of their PA. This review aims to systematically summarize the existing literature, which investigated the correlates of PA of children and adolescents with VI until 2019 and identify variables that contribute to their PA participation. Methods: A systematic search using Academic Search Premier (ASP), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Education Source (ES), PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (PBSC), MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science (WOS) was conducted in September 2019 to identify studies examining the correlates of PA in children and adolescents with VI aged 5 to 17 years. Two researchers independently screened studies, assessed their methodological quality and extracted relevant data. The correlates of PA among children and adolescents with VI were synthesized and further assessed semi-quantitatively. Results: A total of 17 articles identified correlates of PA in children and adolescents with VI. Out of 21 variables identified from the reviewed studies, 3 were consistently associated with PA of children and adolescents with VI. Body mass index (BMI)/obesity, percent of body fat, and visual impairment level were consistently and negatively associated with PA of children and adolescents with VI. Gender and age were identified as having inconsistent relationships with PA in children and adolescents with VI. The level of parental education was identified to have “no association” with children and adolescents with VI. Conclusions: This review can aid in developing effective interventions to improve the PA of children and adolescents with VI and propose directions for future research.