| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to describe the physical fitness of middle-aged adults with an intellectual disability and how their state of fitness has changed over time. Thirty-two adults with an intellectual disability served as participants: 14 were female and 18 were male. Participants had an age range from 34 to 57 years. All worked at a readaptation center in Montreal and were participants in a study of physical fitness in 1983. Using the "Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness", the participants were evaluated on tests of Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility, and Body Composition. All participants were deemed physically capable of performing all the tests after a screening procedure was used. A home visit, previous to the testing session, familiarized the participants with the procedures for each test. The battery of tests took one hour per participant. Three levels of analysis were used to describe the change in physical fitness with age: First, the conversion of raw scores into percentiles highlighted individual differences within the group. Second, to assess the change in fitness over time, a 2 x 2 (group x time) repeated measures design was used. Third, effect sizes were calculated to measure the magnitude of change in fitness over the 13 year period as compared to the general population. Results indicate that, when compared to the general population, the participants had lower levels of fitness and that their fitness had changed significantly over time. Most interesting were results showing that the participants had a significantly greater magnitude of change in VO2max and percent body fat than what is expected in the general population. The findings of this study raise concerns regarding the potential health risks associated with aging and poor fitness for adults with an intellectual disability.
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