The perspectives of parents of youth with disabilities toward physical activity: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND

Parents' perceptions of physical activity (PA), in particular, are critically important because children with disabilities are often dependent on their families to be able to engage in physical activities. Thus, adapted physical activity scholars have acknowledged the need for research addressing the perceptions of parents of youth with disabilities regarding their child's PA engagement.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this review was to examine published research literature pertaining to parents' perspectives toward physical activity of youth with disabilities by describing study characteristics and major findings.

METHODS

Electronic database searches were conducted to identify relevant articles published between January 2007 and January 2018.

RESULTS

Thirty-two articles met all inclusion criteria, and relevant data such as participant characteristics, theories, measurements, and dependent variables were extracted from them. Of the 32 studies, 26 were descriptive, and six were correlational. Seventeen studies explicitly stated a theoretical or conceptual framework.

CONCLUSIONS

Major findings suggest that parents have reported multiple motives to engage their children with disabilities in physical activity. However, numerous barriers (e.g., lack of program, lack of time, children's disability) were reported that negatively impact physical activity participation. As such, parents are calling for the need for training provided by qualified professionals to enhance participation for their children with disabilities.