Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Autism Secondary Data Analysis Program - Address: 32 Campus Drive, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 Project Director Name: Claire Adam, PhD, DPT Contact Phone Numbers: 406-243-4026 (voice), 406-243-4525 (fax) Email Address: claire.adam@mso.umt.edu Website Address: https://www.umt.edu/public-community-health-sciences/ Grant funds requested: $119,988.00 PROBLEM: Despite the importance of physical activity (PA) for health, only 25% of children and adolescents in the United States meet guidelines for PA, and only 19% of children and adolescents with developmental disabilities meet PA guidelines. Children with developmental delay may eventually be diagnosed with a developmental disability, and given the relationship between developmental disability and delay, it is likely that children with delay also have lower levels of PA. We need a clear understanding of the relationship between developmental delay and PA in order to address health inequities. Additionally, access to built environment features such as parks and recreation centers may not lead to similar increases in PA for children with and without developmental delay. To help communities better design features to equitably promote PA in all children, there is a need to identify the features that increase PA among children with developmental delays. Increasing PA in children and adolescents is a Healthy People 2030 objective and a MCHB Strategic Research Issue under “Goal 3: Promote the Health and Well-Being of Children”. GOALS and OBJECTIVES: Our overall goals are to determine if there are differences in PA for children with and without current developmental delay or a history of developmental delay, and to identify facilitators in the built environment of PA among children with developmental delay. Objectives: 1. Quantify the relationship between developmental delay status (none, current, history of) and PA in children ages 6-17 years. 2. Quantify the relationship between access to built environment features and PA, modified by developmental delay status. PROPOSED DATA SETS and TARGET POPULATIONS: We will analyze 2016-2021 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Funded by the HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the NSCH is conducted annually and collects data for non-institutionalized children ages 0 to 17 years from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey sample is weighted to be representative of the US child population. The survey includes specific questions about whether children have a current developmental delay or a history of developmental delay. Additionally, there are questions about access to built environment features including parks and playgrounds, sidewalks and walking paths, and recreation and community centers. The target population for our study is children and adolescents ages 6-17 years, with and without current or a history of developmental delays. PRODUCTS: We will submit two manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals for dissemination to researchers and health care professionals. We will submit an abstract to present at a conference, the American Physical Therapy Association, and share our study findings with physical therapists, a group that directly works on increasing physical activity in children with disabilities and delays. Physical Therapists are frequently involved in consulting on community recreation projects, such as accessible parks. EVALUATION: We will meet as a research team every two weeks to determine if we are making sufficient progress towards meeting our objectives and if we are on track to complete our research products including manuscripts and abstract submissions. KEY TERMS: a) Project: Health disparities, Physical activity, Early intervention, Illness Prevention and Health Promotion, Developmental Disabilities, and Neighborhood b) Targeted populations: Persons with Disabilities or Special Health Care Needs c) Age ranges: Middle Childhood and Adolescence
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