Zhao Peiting, Zhu Gaohui, Chen Sha, Pan Yu, Chen Kai, Huang Li, Guo Liya
School of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Children (Basel). 2024 Jan 11;11(1):85. doi: 10.3390/children11010085.
Children with intellectual disabilities often face challenges in balance ability and lower limb muscle strength, which negatively impact their daily lives and motor function. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the balance ability and lower limb muscle strength of children with intellectual disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week aquatic exercise and floor curling intervention on the balance ability and lower limb muscle strength of children with intellectual disabilities. Forty-two participants were randomly assigned to the aquatic exercise group, floor curling group, and control group. The aquatic exercise and floor curling groups received a 12-week intervention, while the control group engaged in supervised free activities. The participants' balance ability and lower limb muscle strength were assessed using the Berg Balance Scale and a muscle strength testing device before and after the intervention. The results showed significant improvements in balance ability and lower limb muscle strength for both the aquatic exercise group and the floor curling group after the intervention. The aquatic exercise group demonstrated an average improvement of 10.84% in balance ability and an overall average improvement of 16.28% in lower limb muscle strength. The floor curling group showed an average improvement of 9.04% in balance ability and an overall average improvement of 15.67% in lower limb muscle strength. These improvement results were statistically significant ( < 0.05) and ranged from medium to large effect sizes ( = 0.5~0.8). The findings of this study validate the positive effects of aquatic exercise and floor curling on the balance ability and lower limb muscle strength of children with intellectual disabilities. These interventions can be considered effective approaches for functional rehabilitation in children with intellectual disabilities.
智障儿童在平衡能力和下肢肌肉力量方面常常面临挑战，这对他们的日常生活和运动功能产生负面影响。因此，增强智障儿童的平衡能力和下肢肌肉力量至关重要。本研究旨在探讨为期12周的水上运动和地板卷曲运动干预对智障儿童平衡能力和下肢肌肉力量的影响。42名参与者被随机分配到水上运动组、地板卷曲运动组和对照组。水上运动组和地板卷曲运动组接受为期12周的干预，而对照组进行有监督的自由活动。在干预前后，使用伯格平衡量表和肌肉力量测试设备对参与者的平衡能力和下肢肌肉力量进行评估。结果显示，干预后水上运动组和地板卷曲运动组的平衡能力和下肢肌肉力量均有显著改善。水上运动组的平衡能力平均提高了10.84%，下肢肌肉力量总体平均提高了16.28%。地板卷曲运动组的平衡能力平均提高了9.04%，下肢肌肉力量总体平均提高了15.67%。这些改善结果具有统计学意义（<0.05），效应大小从中等到大（=0.5~0.8）。本研究结果证实了水上运动和地板卷曲运动对智障儿童平衡能力和下肢肌肉力量的积极影响。这些干预措施可被视为智障儿童功能康复的有效方法。
