Effects of Aquatic Interventions on Physical Health Indicators in People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Review

Abstract

Exercise in water is widely used for improving the physical capacities of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs). In this review, we examined the results of studies on the effects of water interventions on functional abilities, as well as the physiological and biochemical status of people with IDs. We considered studies in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Research Gate databases which were published between 2010 and 31 December 2022. Based on our inclusion criteria, 15 studies were selected for review. We found incomplete recording of data on the intensity and timing of physical activity. There was also wide variation in the terminology used to describe physical abilities. The study results suggested that aquatic interventions brought about improvements in endurance and strength; however, conflicting data were found with respect to balance and body mass index, and there were few data on biomarkers related to stress and brain health. Further research with more accurate training load data and a more common fitness terminology is needed. Lastly, traditional swimming should probably be considered as an aquatic intervention.

Keywords: aquatic interventions; fitness; health; intellectual disabilities; swimming.

Figure 1

PRISMA, diagram of preferred reports for reviews.