A new Oregon State University study of children with autism found that they are more sedentary than their typically-developing peers, averaging 50 minutes less a day of moderate physical activity and 70 minutes more each day sitting.
The small study of 29 children, some with autism and some without, showed that children with autism perform as well as their typical peers on fitness assessments such as body mass index, aerobic fitness levels, and flexibility. The results warrant expanding the study to a larger group of children, said Dr. Megan MacDonald, an assistant professor in OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences.
“These kids, compared to their peers, are similarly fit,” Dr. MacDonald said. “That’s really exciting, because it means those underlying fitness abilities are there.”
The findings were published this month in the journal Autism Research and Treatment. Co-authors are Ms. Kiley Tyler, a doctoral student at OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, and Dr. Kristi Menear, chair of the department of human studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The study was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education with additional support from OSU.
To read more, click here: http://health.oregonstate.edu/synergies/2014/children-autism-sedentary-peers-new-osu-study-shows/