Physical inactivity among parents of children with and without Down syndrome: the National Health Interview Survey

Background Emerging evidence suggests that parents of children with intellectual disabilities have poorer physical health than parents of typically developing children. However, it is unclear why. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in physical inactivity among a population‐based sample of parents of children with and without Down syndrome. Methods Data for this analysis come from 11 waves (2005–2016) of the National Health Interview Survey, a U.S. nationally representative survey. Minutes per week of leisure‐time physical activity were ascertained by self‐report with physical inactivity defined as reporting no leisure‐time physical activity. Parents were classified as (1) parents of typically developing children, (2) parents of children with Down syndrome, (3) parents of children with a developmental disability that had a high functional impact (autism, cerebral palsy, vision impairment or hearing impairment), (4) parents of children with an intellectual or developmental disability, but who did not have Down syndrome or a high‐impact developmental disabilities, and (5) parents of children with other special health care needs. Results Parents of children with Down syndrome were more likely to be physically inactive compared with parents of typical children (odds ratio [OR]: 1.51 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.08, 2.12]) and had the lowest likelihood among all subgroups of parents to children with developmental disabilities or special health care needs. Parents of children with Down syndrome also had a significantly greater likelihood of being physically inactive compared with parents of children with other special health care needs (OR: 1.56 [95% CI: 1.11, 2.19]), with developmental disabilities without high functional impact (OR: 1.58 [95% CI: 1.12, 2.24]) and with developmental disabilities with high functional impact (OR: 1.46 [95% CI: 1.03, 2.08]). Conclusion Parents of children with Down syndrome are more likely to be physically inactive compared with parents of typically developing children and parents of children with other developmental disabilities or special health care needs. These findings suggest that parents of children with Down syndrome are a population in urgent need for interventions/programmes that promote physical activity, particularly as child well‐being is linked to caregiver health.