Effects of motor activity on physical fitness of students with intellectual retardations

ˑ: 

E.V. Naumova1
PhD T.V. Fendel1
1Tchaikovsky State Institute of Physical Culture, Tchaikovsky

Keywords: adaptive physical education, intellectual retardations, correctional schools, motor activity, physical fitness, coordination qualities.

Background. Intellectually retarded children are known to be widely different in the severity of the core health disorder and its actual impacts on the individual motility [1, 4]. The intellectually retarded children’s motor activity is specific in many aspects [1-3] varying from hyperactivity to inactivity with the relevant effects on the physical qualities and fitness, cognitive ability and social adaptability [1, 4, 5].
Objective of the study was to analyse motor activity of the 8-10 year-olds with minor intellectual retardations versus their physical fitness test rates.
Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study 8-10 year-olds with minor intellectual retardations (n=198) at special correctional schools for students with disabilities in the Perm Territory. Motor activity of the sample was rated by the average moves per Physical Education lesson fixed by individual pedometers plus the Physical Education lesson video analyses to rate the motor activity significance/ purposefulness, stability (tolerance to distracters), adequacy and necessity. Physical fitness of the sample was rated by a set of standard physical fitness tests.
Results and discussion. The motor activity rating data provided by video-analysis and interpretations were grouped using the Sturges formula as follows: low motor activity: 1014-minus moves per lesson (1 point); moderate motor activity: 1015 to 1431 moves per lesson (2 points); and high motor activity: 1432-plus moves per lesson (3 points): see Table 1.

Table 1. Motor activity test rates of the sample

Motor activity group

Average moves per lesson

Numbers/ shares

n

%

Low

806

59

29,8

Moderate

1223

102

51,5

High

1640

35

17,7

Total

 

198

100

Based on the motor activity test data and analysis, virtually every six child in the sample was rated with a high motor activity / hyperactivity manifested in the fast and mostly aimless movements, low tolerance to distracters, excessive emotionality, loud active talking, poor concentration on the teacher’s instructions and occasional aggression to the classmates. About one of three children was rated with low motor activity manifested in slow moves, motor clumsiness, inability to learn a demonstrated motor skill and frequent refusals to learn. And the medium motor activity tested group (51.5% of the sample) was found to fairly control the movements, more tolerant to distracters, and following the teacher’s instructions. The group motor activity was compared with the physical fitness test data: see Table 2.

Table 2. Motor activity group rate correlations with the physical fitness test rates

Physical fitness tests

Motor activity group

High

Moderate

Low

30m sprint, s

0,82

0,6

0,64

Sitting front leans, cm

0,41

0,44

0,52

6-min race, м

-0,72

0,4

0,61

Standing long jump, cm

0,71

0,41

0,68

Bench walking, s

0,64

0,42

0,70

Prone push-ups, count

0,32

0,39

0,27

Romberg test, s

-0,84

0,51

0,56

Falling ruler test, cm

0,64

0,51

0,82

Since the group data were correlated herein with the metrical data, we used the Spearman rank correlation ratio to find and rate potential correlations. Thus the correlation analysis found the 30m sprint test data being highly correlated only with the high motor activity (r = 0.82). Video-analyses found, however, many execution disorders in the high-motor-activity group including lateral bodily fluctuations, limited amplitudes of the movements, disharmonies in the lower and upper limb movements etc. The low-motor-activity group was tested with delayed reactions to the start signal, weak push-off and hip extension. It should be mentioned that no intergroup differences were found in the sitting front leans test.
It might look controversial that we found a high negative correlation between the high motor activity and 6min race test data (r = -0.72), with most of the subjects unable or unwilling/ refusing to complete the test. This behavior, as reported by the teachers, is quite typical for this group when it comes to monotonous work.
Furthermore, we found almost identical correlation ratios between the standing long jump test rates and high and low motor activity (r=0.71 and r=0.68, respectively), although the high-motor-activity group performance had multiple technical disorders (weak squatting, disharmonized push-off, hectic arm movements, etc.), whilst the low-motor-activity group techniques were expressly economic. The moderate-motor-activity group made more landing errors, mostly due to poor postural control, and, as a result, was unsuccessful in the test.
The situation was much the same for the bench walking test. The high-motor-activity group was the fastest in the test albeit made multiple technical errors. The low-motor-activity group demonstrated better concentration in the test and, hence, was more successful. And the moderate-motor-activity group was hesitant and mostly unsuccessful in the pace-keeping in the bench walking test. Correlation analysis found no statistically meaningful correlations between the prone push-ups test data and group motor activity.
It is a common belief that intellectually retarded children face the highest problems in the coordination intensive tests [3], and this opinion was apparently verified by the strong negative correlation between Romberg test data (r= -0.84) and high motor activity as only this group was the least tolerant to the external distracters and reacted by talking and laughing, losses of concentration and balance. The low- and moderate-motor activity groups coped with the test much more successfully. It was surprising in this context that the low-motor-activity group faced the highest difficulties in the falling ruler test (r= 0.82). Therefore, it may be stated with confidence that the intellectually retarded children’s coordination qualities tests and analyses shall take into account their motor activity test rates.
Conclusion. The study data and analyses showed that the coordination qualities and endurance of children diagnosed with minor intellectual retardations largely depend on their motor activity, and this finding is recommended being taken into consideration by the Physical Education service models for the intellectually retarded children.

References

  1. Antipanova N.A., Datsko M.A. Features of development of children with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Humanities and Natural Sciences. 2016. No. 2. pp. 24-27.
  2. Ivinskiy D.V. Relevance of experimental methods of additional physical education of students of special (correctional) school of VIII type. Vestnik Tambovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. 2015. no. 2 (142) pp. 102-107.
  3. Kalmykov D.A., Deryabina G.I. Test control of development of coordination abilities of children with mental retardation. Gaudeamus. 2017. no.3. pp. 38-43.
  4. Snesar N.N., Ponomarev V.V. Physical education of children with intellectual retardations. Vestnik Krasnoyarskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta im. V.P. Astafyeva. 2011. no. 1. pp.  111-115.
  5. Snigur M.E., Vlasov V.V., Vlasov N.V. Correction of development of physical qualities of students with intellectual disabilities based on game method at physical education lessons. Uchenye zapiski universiteta Lesgafta. 2017. no. 11 (153). pp. 23-238

Corresponding author: naumova_ekaterin@inbox.ru

Abstract
Objective of the study was to analyse motor activity of the 8-10 year-olds with minor intellectual retardations versus their physical fitness test rates.
Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study 8-10 year-olds with minor intellectual retardations (n=198) at special correctional schools for students with disabilities in the Perm Territory. Motor activity of the sample was rated by the average moves per Physical Education lesson fixed by individual pedometers plus the Physical Education lesson video analyses to rate the motor activity significance/ purposefulness, stability (tolerance to distracters), adequacy and necessity. Physical fitness of the sample was rated by a set of standard physical fitness tests.
Results and conclusions. We detected a high level of negative correlation of increased motor activity of the children with the 6-minute sprint test results. Almost equal correlation coefficients were obtained between the standing long jump test results  and both the high and low levels of motor activity.
A similar picture was observed when the students performed the bench waling test. No statistically significant correlation was found between the levels of motor activity of the children with minor intellectual retardations and push-ups test results. There was a strong negative correlation between the Romberg test results, but only in the high-motor-activity group. It was difficult for the low-motor-activity children to complete the falling ruler test.
The study data and analyses showed that the coordination qualities and endurance of children diagnosed with minor intellectual retardations largely depend on their motor activity, and this finding is recommended being taken into consideration by the Physical Education service models for the intellectually retarded children.