Understanding Physical activity patterns in persons ageing with an intellectual disability.
Aim:
To determine the health effects of low levels of physical activity and low intensity levels when physical activity is undertaken among people with intellectual disabilities as they age.
Background:
It is well established that people with intellectual disability have low levels of physical activity in their daily lives and that when physical activity occurs it almost always is of low intensity. Physical activity recommendations in order to obtain health benefits are for a sustained level of activity usually at a moderate level of vigour. The value of low intensity activity for people with intellectual activity has not been explored.
Method:
Secondary data analysis of data from all three waves of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing will examine actual level of physical activity over time in terms of frequency and vigour and will link this data will chronic health condition data to explore wat level of physical activity appears to have protective health and improved quality of life effects for people with intellectual disabilities.
As part of PhD training student will receive formalized training in the administration of a computer assisted protocol, participate in a multidisciplinary research team and will be expected to complete data collection interviews and to assist in interview scheduling, data cleaning and analyses. The supervisory team will be multidisciplinary and include international scholars.