Levels of physical activity during school recess according to nutritional status in young people with Down síndrome

Jorquera Donoso B.; Vidal Espinoza R.; Rivera Portugal A.M.; Pedrero Valenzuela P.; Urra Albornoz C.; Cossio Bolaños M.; Gomez Campos R. · Nutricion Clinica y Dietetica Hospitalaria (2026) · DOI: 10.12873/ncdh-2026-34

Resumen

Introduction: Children with Down syndrome (DS) face barriers that limit their participation and generally exhibit high levels of sedentary behavior. Objective: To compare physical activity (PA) levels during school recess according to gender and nutritional status in young people with DS, and secondarily to compare Body Mass Index (BMI) values with international studies. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 47 schoolchildren with DS from four schools, aged between 15 and 18 years. Weight and height were assessed and BMI was calculated. PA levels were assessed using pedometers during school recess. Nutritional status was categorized according to BMI (normal and overweight). Results: In males, there were no differences in the number of steps between the two categories (normal weight and overweight) (p=0.56), and the effect size was TE: 0.28 (small). However, in females, there were differences between the two categories (p=0.037), and the effect size was large (TE: 0.96). The relationship between BMI and the number of steps was negative r = -0.30 (p<0.05). Young people of both sexes had higher BMI values than those in international studies (in men from 5.05 to 6.3 kg/m2 and in women from 7.6 kg/m2 to 16 and 17 in 6.0 kg/m2). Conclusion: Conclusion: It was determined that there were no significant differences in PA levels during recess among males categorized as normal weight and overweight. In contrast, significant differences were observed among females, as those categorized as normal weight walked more meters than their overweight counterparts. Furthermore, at an early age, young people with DS of both sexes showed higher BMI levels compared to international studies. These results suggest urgent interventions in schools to promote regular PA.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa