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School-Based Physical Activity Levels and Quality of Physical Education Participation Experiences of Children with Physical and Sensory Disabilities Living in British Columbia, Canada Jevdjevic, Aleksandra; Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Kelly P.; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A. (Kathleen Anne), 1968-; Voss, Christine

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined school-based physical activity (PA) and the quality of physical education (PE) experiences for children with physical or sensory disabilities. The participants included 10 children (4 girls, 6 boys) with a mean age of 10 years, 5 of whom had sensory disabilities, and 5 of whom had physical disabilities. PA was measured using accelerometry over a 7-day period. Semi-structured interviews explored the children’s experiences in PE classes. Interview data were deductively coded using the Quality Participation Framework to identify examples of autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, mastery, and meaning. On average, children engaged in 17 min per day (standard deviation (SD) = 16) of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) during school, and 5 min of MVPA (SD = 6) during PE classes. Most children did not meet the provincial policy of 30 min per day of school-based MVPA. Children reported both positive and negative examples of autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, and mastery, and positive experiences of meaning. Overall, children with physical or sensory disabilities accumulate minimal MVPA during school and have mixed-quality participation experiences in PE. These insights can guide efforts to enhance both the quantity of school-based MVPA and the quality of participation in PE for children with disabilities.

Item Metadata

Title
School-Based Physical Activity Levels and Quality of Physical Education Participation Experiences of Children with Physical and Sensory Disabilities Living in British Columbia, Canada
Creator
Jevdjevic, Aleksandra; Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Kelly P.; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A. (Kathleen Anne), 1968-; Voss, Christine
Contributor
University of British Columbia. Okanagan Campus. Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Date Issued
2025-01-17
Description
This mixed-methods study examined school-based physical activity (PA) and the quality of physical education (PE) experiences for children with physical or sensory disabilities. The participants included 10 children (4 girls, 6 boys) with a mean age of 10 years, 5 of whom had sensory disabilities, and 5 of whom had physical disabilities. PA was measured using accelerometry over a 7-day period. Semi-structured interviews explored the children’s experiences in PE classes. Interview data were deductively coded using the Quality Participation Framework to identify examples of autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, mastery, and meaning. On average, children engaged in 17 min per day (standard deviation (SD) = 16) of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) during school, and 5 min of MVPA (SD = 6) during PE classes. Most children did not meet the provincial policy of 30 min per day of school-based MVPA. Children reported both positive and negative examples of autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, and mastery, and positive experiences of meaning. Overall, children with physical or sensory disabilities accumulate minimal MVPA during school and have mixed-quality participation experiences in PE. These insights can guide efforts to enhance both the quantity of school-based MVPA and the quality of participation in PE for children with disabilities.
Subject
accelerometry; quality participation; pediatrics; belonging; mastery; autonomy; challenge; engagement; meaning
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2025-05-02
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
CC BY 4.0
DOI
10.14288/1.0448722
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/90970
Affiliation
Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan); Medicine, Faculty of; Non UBC; Health and Exercise Sciences, School of (Okanagan); Medicine, Department of; Pediatrics, Department of
Citation
Disabilities 5 (1): 8 (2025)
Publisher DOI
10.3390/disabilities5010008
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty; Researcher
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Aggregated Source Repository
DSpace

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Rights

CC BY 4.0