Sung Ming-Chih, Mahmoudkhani Mohammadreza, Ku Byungmo
School of Kinesiology, Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA.
Laboratory of Physical Activity Behavior Change for Individuals with Disabilities, Yong-In University, Yongin-si 17092, Republic of Korea.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 May 7;13(9):1081. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13091081.
To effectively promote physical activity (PA) participation in preschool-aged children with disabilities (PACD), a comprehensive understanding of the associated factors is necessary. Consequently, this study aims to examine the factors influencing PA participation in PACD using the socio-ecological model.
The Disability Status Survey 2020 in South Korea has been used for the current study. PACD aged below five years were selected, resulting in 5825 children. Variables were selected across each level of the socio-ecological model: (1) intrapersonal level (child's sex, chronic condition, disability level, perceived health), (2) interpersonal level (siblings' status, grandparents' status, satisfaction with number of friends), (3) organizational level (enrollment in physical therapy, enrollment in occupational therapy), and (4) environmental level (residential area, government support). The decision tree analysis was conducted using chi-square automatic interaction detection to examine multi-level associated factors of PA participation in PACD.
The decision tree analysis produced a three-level model with six terminal nodes. In the study sample, 48.4% of participants reported participating in PA. The most common location for PA was at home, with balance exercises being the most frequent type of activity, followed by stretching. Frequent barriers to regular PA participation included a lack of professionals who are knowledgeable about disabilities and the absence of disability-specific programs. The decision tree analysis identified living with grandparents, the child's sex, having a sibling, and enrollment in physical therapy as common predictors of PA participation in PACD.
This study's strength lies in its thorough examination of the socio-ecological factors influencing PA participation in PACD. The associated factors span both intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. To enhance PA participation among PACD, interventions should target these levels.
为有效促进残疾学龄前儿童（PACD）参与体育活动（PA），有必要全面了解相关因素。因此，本研究旨在运用社会生态模型探讨影响PACD参与PA的因素。
本研究使用了2020年韩国残疾状况调查。选取了5岁以下的PACD儿童，共5825名。在社会生态模型的各个层面选取变量：（1）个人层面（儿童性别、慢性病、残疾程度、自我感知健康状况），（2）人际层面（兄弟姐妹状况、祖父母状况、对朋友数量的满意度），（3）组织层面（是否接受物理治疗、是否接受职业治疗），以及（4）环境层面（居住地区、政府支持）。采用卡方自动交互检测进行决策树分析，以探讨PACD参与PA的多层次相关因素。
决策树分析产生了一个具有六个终端节点的三级模型。在研究样本中，48.4%的参与者报告参与了PA。PA最常见的地点是在家中，平衡练习是最频繁的活动类型，其次是伸展运动。经常参与定期PA的障碍包括缺乏了解残疾情况的专业人员以及缺乏针对残疾的项目。决策树分析确定与祖父母同住、儿童性别、有兄弟姐妹以及接受物理治疗是PACD参与PA的常见预测因素。
本研究的优势在于全面考察了影响PACD参与PA的社会生态因素。相关因素涵盖个人层面和人际层面。为提高PACD的PA参与度，干预措施应针对这些层面。
