‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial

Peter Mullhall; Laurence Taggart; Gary McDermott; Paul Slater; Ben Fitzpatrick; Marie H. Murphy; Angela Hassiotis; Anne Johnston

doi:10.1111/jar.13260

‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial

Peter Mullhall, Laurence Taggart, Gary McDermott, Paul Slater, Ben Fitzpatrick, Marie H. Murphy, Angela Hassiotis, Anne Johnston

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

121 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Children with intellectual disability are less physically active and more sedentary than typically developing peers. To date no studies have tested the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention for children with Intellectual Disability.

METHOD: A clustered randomised controlled trial (cRCT), with an embedded process evaluation, was used to test the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention. Eight schools (n = 161 pupils aged 9-13 years) were randomised into either an intervention arm or an 'exercise as usual' arm. Measures included physical activity, physical fitness and emotional wellbeing. Baseline and 3-month follow-up data were collected.

RESULTS: The 'Walk Buds' intervention was found to be acceptable to teaching staff and pupils, with an uptake rate of the walking sessions offered of 84%.

CONCLUSION: A number of challenges were experienced, relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and difficulties collecting accelerometer data. Barriers, facilitators and required changes identified through the mixed methods process evaluation are discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	e13260
Pages (from-to)	e13260
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities
Volume	37
Issue number	5
Early online date	27 Jun 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13260 https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13260
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 1 Sept 2024

Bibliographical note

Keywords

clustered RCT
Feasibility
Fidelity
intellectual disability
school-based
walking intervention
Physical Fitness/physiology
Humans
Male
Mental Health
Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation
Feasibility Studies
COVID-19
Walking/physiology
Exercise
Adolescent
Female
School Health Services
Child
fidelity
school‐based
feasibility

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Project HIIT: a co-produced high-intensity interval training intervention for adolescents with intellectual disabilities, underpinned by the 6SQuID framework and the COM-B model of behaviour.
McDermott, G. (Author), Brick, N. (Supervisor), Shannon, S. (Supervisor), Taggart, L. (Supervisor) & Fitzpatrick, B. (Supervisor), May 2024
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

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Mullhall, P., Taggart, L., McDermott, G., Slater, P., Fitzpatrick, B., Murphy, M. H., Hassiotis, A., & Johnston, A. (2024). ‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 37(5), e13260. Article e13260. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13260, https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13260

Mullhall, Peter ; Taggart, Laurence ; McDermott, Gary et al. / ‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial. In: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 2024 ; Vol. 37, No. 5. pp. e13260.

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title = "{\textquoteleft}Walk Buds{\textquoteright}: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Children with intellectual disability are less physically active and more sedentary than typically developing peers. To date no studies have tested the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention for children with Intellectual Disability.METHOD: A clustered randomised controlled trial (cRCT), with an embedded process evaluation, was used to test the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention. Eight schools (n = 161 pupils aged 9-13 years) were randomised into either an intervention arm or an 'exercise as usual' arm. Measures included physical activity, physical fitness and emotional wellbeing. Baseline and 3-month follow-up data were collected.RESULTS: The 'Walk Buds' intervention was found to be acceptable to teaching staff and pupils, with an uptake rate of the walking sessions offered of 84%.CONCLUSION: A number of challenges were experienced, relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and difficulties collecting accelerometer data. Barriers, facilitators and required changes identified through the mixed methods process evaluation are discussed.",

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author = "Peter Mullhall and Laurence Taggart and Gary McDermott and Paul Slater and Ben Fitzpatrick and Murphy, {Marie H.} and Angela Hassiotis and Anne Johnston",

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Mullhall, P, Taggart, L, McDermott, G, Slater, P , Fitzpatrick, B , Murphy, MH, Hassiotis, A & Johnston, A 2024, '‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial', Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, vol. 37, no. 5, e13260, pp. e13260. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13260, https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13260

‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial. / Mullhall, Peter; Taggart, Laurence; McDermott, Gary et al.
In: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 37, No. 5, e13260, 01.09.2024, p. e13260.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - ‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial

AU - Mullhall, Peter

AU - Taggart, Laurence

AU - McDermott, Gary

AU - Slater, Paul

AU - Fitzpatrick, Ben

AU - Murphy, Marie H.

AU - Hassiotis, Angela

AU - Johnston, Anne

PY - 2024/9/1

Y1 - 2024/9/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Children with intellectual disability are less physically active and more sedentary than typically developing peers. To date no studies have tested the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention for children with Intellectual Disability.METHOD: A clustered randomised controlled trial (cRCT), with an embedded process evaluation, was used to test the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention. Eight schools (n = 161 pupils aged 9-13 years) were randomised into either an intervention arm or an 'exercise as usual' arm. Measures included physical activity, physical fitness and emotional wellbeing. Baseline and 3-month follow-up data were collected.RESULTS: The 'Walk Buds' intervention was found to be acceptable to teaching staff and pupils, with an uptake rate of the walking sessions offered of 84%.CONCLUSION: A number of challenges were experienced, relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and difficulties collecting accelerometer data. Barriers, facilitators and required changes identified through the mixed methods process evaluation are discussed.

AB - BACKGROUND: Children with intellectual disability are less physically active and more sedentary than typically developing peers. To date no studies have tested the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention for children with Intellectual Disability.METHOD: A clustered randomised controlled trial (cRCT), with an embedded process evaluation, was used to test the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention. Eight schools (n = 161 pupils aged 9-13 years) were randomised into either an intervention arm or an 'exercise as usual' arm. Measures included physical activity, physical fitness and emotional wellbeing. Baseline and 3-month follow-up data were collected.RESULTS: The 'Walk Buds' intervention was found to be acceptable to teaching staff and pupils, with an uptake rate of the walking sessions offered of 84%.CONCLUSION: A number of challenges were experienced, relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and difficulties collecting accelerometer data. Barriers, facilitators and required changes identified through the mixed methods process evaluation are discussed.

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KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Mental Health

KW - Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation

KW - Feasibility Studies

KW - COVID-19

KW - Walking/physiology

KW - Exercise

KW - Adolescent

KW - Female

KW - School Health Services

KW - Child

KW - fidelity

KW - school‐based

KW - feasibility

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U2 - 10.1111/jar.13260

DO - 10.1111/jar.13260

M3 - Article

C2 - 38937072

SN - 1360-2322

VL - 37

SP - e13260

JO - Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities

JF - Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities

IS - 5

M1 - e13260

ER -

Mullhall P, Taggart L, McDermott G, Slater P , Fitzpatrick B , Murphy MH et al. ‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 2024 Sept 1;37(5):e13260. e13260. Epub 2024 Jun 27. doi: 10.1111/jar.13260, 10.1111/jar.13260

‘Walk Buds’: A walking intervention to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 year old children with intellectual disabilities. Results of a clustered randomised feasibility trial

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Student theses

Project HIIT: a co-produced high-intensity interval training intervention for adolescents with intellectual disabilities, underpinned by the 6SQuID framework and the COM-B model of behaviour.

Cite this