Accelerometer measured physical activity among youth with autism and age, sex, and body mass index matched peers: A preliminary study

Abstract

Background: While research has examined physical activity differences between youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical peers, they largely do not consider demographic or anthropomorphic variables when recruiting comparison group participants.

Objective: The purpose of this preliminary study was to compare light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between youth with ASD and age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) matched neurotypical peers from the same geographic region.

Method: A sample of 36 participants, including youth aged 13-17 with ASD and age, sex, and BMI-matched neurotypical youth recruited from the same geographic location. Demographic information was obtained via parent report, and physical activity was measured using the ActiGraph GT3x accelerometer. Participants wore monitors for seven consecutive days during waking hours. Descriptive analyses were conducted for participant demographics, LPA, and MVPA, and paired-sample t-tests were employed to examine differences in LPA and MVPA between youth with ASD and age, sex, and BMI-matched neurotypical peers.

Results: Youth with ASD and their age, BMI, and sex matched neurotypical peers demonstrated no significant difference in average daily LPA (201.36 ± 63.50 v. 172.30 ± 54.98) or MVPA (33.54 ± 17.07 v. 37.63 ± 19.94).

Conclusions: Results indicate that youth with ASD did not engage in significantly less MVPA than age, sex, and BMI-matched peers from the same geographic location. Not finding clear distinctions between youth with ASD and neurotypical peers in this study suggest that variability in other social or environmental factors may play a larger role in influencing MVPA than ASD itself.

Keywords: Adolescent; Autism spectrum disorder; Health; Light physical activity; MVPA.