Body composition and body balance in people with intellectual disabilities: a descriptive study

Purpose: To assess body composition and body balance, both static and dynamic, of adults with intellectual disabilities. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was used. 86 men and 36 women with intellectual disabilities participated in the study (21-60 years old). The Alpha-Fit Test Battery for Adults was used to evaluate dynamic and static balance and body composition. Results: Results were compared to published reference values from people without disabilities. Results are showed as mean and standard deviation for each age group. Body composition variables of participants with intellectual disabilities were related to high risk of cardiovascular disease: Most of them presented overweight and high values of waist circumference. Relates to body balance, both static and dynamic, people with disabilities showed performances related to a very low physical condition. Conclusion: In the present study people with intellectual disabilities of any age showed results related to body composition and body balance comparable to older adults without disabilities.