Pedometer-determined physical activity levels of healthy children and children with Down’s syndrome

Abstract

Purpose: Children with Down’s syndrome (DS) are considered sedentary and less engaged in recommended physical activity (PA) levels. This study compared the PA levels between children with DS and healthy children in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study included 85 children divided into two groups. The DS group comprised 37 children with DS aged 8–12 years recruited from the Down Syndrome Charitable Association and Al-Nahda Schools for DS. The healthy group comprised 41 healthy children aged 8–12 years recruited from regular schools in the same region. PA levels were measured over 7 days using a pedometer. Results: The healthy group was more active than the DS group (p < 0.05). The total PA steps per minute had significant differences between the DS (M = 7.979, SD = 2.21) and healthy groups (M = 17.512, SD = 3.08; p < 0.05). The daily step count differed significantly on weekdays and weekends between the groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The DS group had a high body mass index and physical inactivity compared with the second group. Obesity and physical inactivity among Saudi Arabian children with and without DS are major health concerns. Therefore, concerted efforts are needed to combat childhood obesity, promote PA, improve patient quality of life, and reduce the sedentary lifestyle among Saudi children and adolescents.