Objectives: Aim 1 was to establish updated prevalence estimates for meeting national physical activity (PA) guidelines among adolescents with and without special healthcare needs (SHCN), 12-17 years old. To identify at-risk subgroups, our sub-aim was to compare the distribution of prevalence estimates across PA levels by SHCN subtypes, and in reference to peers without SHCN. Aim 2 was to examine the association between meeting PA guidelines, having a medical home, and receiving positive health behavior counseling in this population.
Methods: Weighted prevalence estimates for meeting the 2018 National PA Guidelines (inactive, insufficiently active, sufficiently active: guidelines met) were calculated from a secondary analysis of the National Survey of Children's Health 2016-2017 ( n = 16,171, 27% SHCN). Adjusted odds ratios and 95% CIs were estimated from logistic regression models to measure the association between PA, medical home, and postive health behavior counseling.
Results: Of adolescents with SHCN, 15% were reported to be meeting PA guidelines compared to 19% of peers without SHCN peers. Among adolescents with a medical home, regardless of SHCN status, those receiving positive health behavior counseling had 1.70 times the adjusted odds of meeting PA guidelines compared to peers without counseling.
Conclusions for practice: Adolescents with and without SHCN were more likely to meet PA guidelines if they had a medical home and received positive health behavior counseling, highlighting the value of comprehensive healthcare practices for PA promotion.
Keywords: CSHCN; Disability; Exercise; Healthcare; National survey of children’s health.