Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Physical Activity Frequency among Youth with Disabilities

Youth with disabilities may be less likely to participate in physical activity (PA) due to low self-efficacy, particularly regarding how they compare themselves to their peers. The present study examined the relationship between types of self-efficacy (i.e., attention and skill) of youth with disability and PA frequency using specific items from the Health and Lifestyles of Teens and Disability Survey. Three disability groups were included: autism (n= 116), intellectual disability (ID) (n=66) and Down syndrome (DS) (n= 66). Participants were 73.8% male with a mean age of 15.90±SD 2.10 years and mean BMI of 23.26±6.14 kg/m2. Results showed that youth with autism, ID and DS engaged in PA an average of 2.16±1.96 days/week, 2.20 ±2.12 days/week, and 2.89±2.02 days/week, respectively. In youth with autism and ID, perceived feelings of not being able to do things or not being able to keep up with peers were related to lower levels of PA (autism: r= -0.21, p=0.03; r= -0.24, p=0.01; ID: r=-0.38, p<0.01, r= -0.34, p<0.01 respectively). Furthermore, difficulty paying attention was associated with lower levels of PA in youth with autism (r=-0.21, p=0.02) and ID (r= -0.29, p=0.02). However, no significant relationships were observed for youth with DS. Results suggest youth with autism and ID may not engage in the recommended amount of PA due to low self-efficacy as compared to the perceived abilities of their peers. Emphasis should be placed on increasing self-efficacy and fostering positive youth development through appropriate PA programs for youth with disability.