Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Down syndrome is one of the most common cases of intellectual disabilities. In addition to slowness and low IQ, they are late learners and are not in good physical condition or have poor movement skills. Also, their daily activities are low, which results in obesity and lower cardio–respiratory fitness. People with Down syndrome have different body composition and physical fitness than their non–Down syndrome counterparts, and these problems can affect their ability to perform motor skills and develop an inactive lifestyle. The rate of body mass index is higher in individuals with Down syndrome compared to healthy matched persons. Obesity and overweight, in turn, could result in cardiovascular complications. Previous studies have reported lower physical fitness in those with Down syndrome, and improvements in these variables have been shown by organized exercise training. However, the effects of unorganized activities, such as games, are unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of playing native–local games on health–related physical fitness in individuals with Down syndrome.
Methods: The present study employed a quasi–experimental design with a pretest–posttest approach. In this research, 24 subjects were selected among over 18 years old qualified candidates with intellectual disabilities, suffering from Down syndrome. The statistical population of the study consisted of individuals with intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome in rehabilitation centers in Gorgan and Gonbad–Kavos cities, Iran. Before entering the study, the goals and stages of the study were explained to their guardians and authorized representatives. After being informed and agreeing, written consent was obtained. The inclusion criteria for the subjects in the study were as follows: at least 18 years old, having Down syndrome, and the ability to understand (trainable) and follow simple instructions. The exclusion criteria included having any disability, such as blindness, deafness, or behavioral disorders, and physical problems that prevented them from participating in sports activities. Thereafter, they were randomly divided into two equal groups (experimental and control). Participants in the training group performed native–local games for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week, twice a day. In each session, after a general warm up and stretching exercises, they performed 10 native–local games including bring bread and take kabab (noon biar kabab bebar in Farsi), breaking walnut (gerdu shekastan in Farsi), snapping a handkerchief (dasmal qapi in Farsi), seven stone (haft sang in Farsi), throwig and hitting stones (dal plan in Farsi), whirligig (ferfereh in Farsi), hat snapping (kolah baran in Farsi), four cells game (chehar khooneh in Farsi), and mouse and cat which were followed by cooldown. Participants in the control group did not engage in regular exercise during this period and continued their normal daily activities. Before training and two days after the last training session, body composition and health–related physical fitness factors, including cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, strength, and flexibility, were measured in both groups. To compare the changes in health–related physical fitness factors and body composition variables between the two groups, an ANCOVA was employed.
Results: Between–group comparisons using ANCOVA revealed no significant differences between the training and control groups for body mass index (p=0.077) and waist circumference (p=0.484). In contrast, the comparisons for sit–up (p=0.001) and flexibility (p=0.003) showed significant differences, where these two variables improved following the training. In addition, data analyses revealed that 12 weeks of native–local games have a significant effect on the strength of the right wrist (p=0.012), left wrist (p=0.018), and 6–minute walk test (p=0.031).
The results of eta squared indicated that the effect of the training program presented in the study on the variables of right wrist muscle strength, left wrist muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, deep trunk flexibility, and muscular endurance was 27%, 24%, 20%, 35%, and 40%, respectively.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, regular play of native–local games in people with Down syndrome leads to improvement in health–related physical fitness. Therefore, using native–local games developed by coaches and in health centers as part of daily routines for individuals with Down syndrome is advised.