.The Effects of Recreational Dance on the Health-Related Physical Fitness of Adults with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Abstract Aim: To explore and synthesise the evidence on the effects of recreational dance on the health-related physical fitness of adults with intellectual disability (ID), as well as provide recommendations for future research. Background: Motor development is significantly delayed in people with ID, as the majority of them show a variety of dysfunctions in the central nervous system that impair motor skills, which are the most deficient in people with ID (Oviedo et al., 2019). It has been illustrated that people with ID have lower muscle strength, movement reaction time, motor control and agility when compared to their typically developing (TD) peers (Rigoldi et al., 2011; Welsh and Elliott, 2001; Wuang et al., 2013). It has been investigated that people with ID have lower levels of cardiorespiratory health than people without ID, with those with Down syndrome (DS) having even lower levels and a more significant decrease in females compared to males (Oppewal et al., 2013). Method: To investigate the present review’s topic, a systematic literature review was selected as a research methodology. Five databases were searched (PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, SPORT Discus and CINAHL) from the inception of the database up to and including 2020. Data were independently extracted into a table and then apprised and synthesised using narrative analysis. Results: Seven articles met the inclusion criteria. The combined number of participants in the included studies was 145, of which 122 had ID, with a sample size ranging from seven to 30 participants. The included studies were pre- and post-test quasi-experiments, a case-control design and non-randomised controlled trials. Three of the studies were conducted in Spain, two in Greece and two in the United States. Conclusion: There was a consistent pattern of connection across a wide variety of age groups, symptoms and contexts, suggesting that recreational dancing could help individuals with ID to improve their balance, postural stability, cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength. Further research would be recommended to validate these findings. Particularly, wherever feasible, well-designed randomised controlled trials i (RCTs) are needed, although the practical difficulties of randomising individuals in educational and community-based settings should be acknowledged. In addition, more research into popular dance forms such as Zumba would be extremely beneficial. More research into the impact of dancing on adults' health-related physical fitness could be further investigated, as well. Keywords: Intellectual disability; dance; adults; health-related fitness