The Experience of a Self-selected Approach to Physical Activity among Adults with an Intellectual Disability: A Phenomenological Study

International demographic trends highlight a growing aging population and improved management of acute illness resulting in increased levels of chronic illnesses worldwide. This trend is mirrored in the context of adults with... [ view full abstract ]

International demographic trends highlight a growing aging population and improved management of acute illness resulting in increased levels of chronic illnesses worldwide. This trend is mirrored in the context of adults with an intellectual disability. Greater physical activity for this largely sedentary population has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, decrease anxiety levels and positively impact on psychosocial outcomes.

The focus of this study is on the psychosocial benefits that promote wellbeing, inclusivity, new opportunities and social acceptance through the self-selection of physical activities for adults attending a day centre. this approach is increasing in importance as more emphasis is place on assisting people with intellectual disabilities to live independent lives within their communities. This is reflected in New Directions, a policy followed by many organisations who work with people with intellectual disabilities.

This research explores the meaningful participation and view of adults with intellectual disability regarding the self-selected activities they engage in. The overarching design is interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), which is concerned with detailed examination of human lived experience.

This study reflects on the challenges faced in collecting data from a population with varying levels of intellectual disability. Superordinate themes and findings include the phenomena of groupthink through acquiescence, prevailing perceptions of health and health benefits of physical activity amongst this population. It also explores what setting best suits the facilitation and enjoyment of physical activity for this group, i.e. segregated, semi-segregated or integrated and what physical activities are most beneficial to this group in the long-term. It also gathers the views of keyworkers and people alongside people with intellectual disabilities in order to illuminate the experience of the core participants and emphasise the important part they play as role models.

The implications for this research include the addition to existing literature and to isolate best practice in the facilitation of self-selected physical activities programmes. Ultimately its purpose is to give voice to people with intellectual disabilities in areas that directly affect their lives and to encourage the use of IPA as a research method and using the voice of the participant to shape future research.