Physical Fitness and Fatness in Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities

Background This study investigated health‐related fitness in adolescents with intellectual disabilities and analysed the various performances in physical fitness tests according to degrees of obesity. Materials and Methods Eighty‐seven French intellectual disabilities adolescents (14.24 ± 1.48 years) performed the EUROFIT physical fitness test battery. Height, weight and waist circumference were assessed, and BMI and waist‐to‐height ratio were calculated. ‘Bio‐impedancemetry’ evaluated body fat (BF) percentage. Results Ninety‐four per cent of the adolescents completed the aerobic running test, 52% of which had low VO_2max. Thirty‐seven per cent were obese (%BF), and 32% had excess visceral adipose tissue. Adolescents with the lowest cardiorespiratory fitness had the highest BF percentages (P < 0.001). Conclusions Intellectual disabilities adolescents showed low physical fitness and high prevalence of obesity. Both could further worsen social participation and health status.