(PS11-D76) Impact of COVID-19 on the Physical Activity of Children with Developmental Delay and Typical Development

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures were implemented to limit the spread of the virus. Beginning in March 2020, school closures likely diminished possibilities for physical activity because school-based exercise was eliminated from children's routines, and stay-at-home directives advised people to avoid gatherings and limit their time outside the home. While these precautions were helpful in limiting the transmission of COVID-19, they may have negatively impacted children's opportunities to participate in adequate levels of physical activity.

Promoting sufficient levels of physical activity in children is a public health concern, particularly among children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Research indicates a significant prevalence of obesity among children with developmental disabilities (DD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with DD are at increased risk for obesity compared to typically developing (TD) peers due to food aversion, medication side effects, and reduced mobility. Obesity prevention in children with DD is paramount because of its impact on both short- and long-term health outcomes and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which COVID-19 restrictions in October of 2020 and later in June 2021 impacted the amount of physical activity TD and DD children engaged in.

Participants included 130 children with DD (58.5% Latinx) and 36 TD peers (52.8% Latinx), recruited from a larger NIH-funded randomized control trial (RCT) in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Clackamas counties in California and Oregon, respectively. Physical activity was evaluated during the pandemic's peak, when schools were closed, and again once students resumed in-person learning. A chi-square test of independence revealed a significant difference in physical activity at the start and later phases of the pandemic based on the race and ethnicity of the caregiver, . Children with Non-Latinx caregivers were more likely to experience an increase in physical activity as a result of reduced pandemic restrictions than children with Latinx caregivers. Additionally, children's physical activity throughout the pandemic was unrelated to their developmental status (i.e.: typically developing, developmental delay), .

            Despite children with DD being at increased risk for overweight and obesity, the findings suggest that when access to physical activity was reduced for all children, there was a universal decline in physical movement. It is plausible that children with DD have less opportunities for physical activity, and the pandemic produced an atmosphere in which TD children were required to dramatically limit their regular amount of physical activity. As such, providing developmentally appropriate opportunities for engaging in physical behavior may minimize the incidence of overweight and obesity in DD children.