Physical activity levels in Iranian children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder with a significant deficiency in communication characteristics, social interactions and stereotyped behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to investigate physical activity participation in Iranian children and adolescent with autism spectrum disorders.

The research method was descriptive and survey. The statistical samples were 370 children and adolescent with ASD, age 8-20 years from Iran. The international physical activity questionnaire for older children and adolescents used for measuring physical activity levels. Data analyzed by using SPSS23.

The results showed that 73.8% of participants were inactive during the last 7 days; 17.8% of them were active occasionally (1 to 2 times); 6.5% (3 to 4 times) and 1.1% (5 to 6 times) were physically active. During the last 7 days on weekends, 58.2% reported usually sitting position, 22.2% walking or standing, and 14.6% running or active playing and only 1.1% reported lots of running or playing. There was no significant difference in physical activity levels between girls and boys.

The results showed the limited participation in physical activity among Iranian children and adolescents with ASD. This study seems to be a helpful for identifying the patterns and promotion of physical activity.