Following a diet and exercise regimen to control health can be challenging for anyone.
However, maintaining a healthy weight can present unique challenges for young adults with inherent barriers such as cognitive impairment.
A pilot study at the University of Cincinnati found that using an education and support system, young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) could lose or maintain their weight.
“It was a wonderful experience working with the young adults and seeing how they can determine their health goals,” says lead author Laura Nabors, PhD, professor in UC’s School of Human Services at the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services.
According to the pilot study, research shows that young adults with ASD and ID are at risk of being overweight or obese and may be at higher health risks for cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and type 2 diabetes.
Nabors and a team of UC faculties, undergraduate and graduate students, and a disability researcher at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ran a nutrition and exercise education program that included 17 students and guardians. Over the course of a year, the team and participants met weekly (either in person or online during COVID-19 lockdowns) and received lessons on healthy eating and exercise.
Lessons focused on MyPlate (the revised version of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid), serving sizes, vitamins and minerals in food, and learning to eat less unhealthy food groups. The practice class included information about the importance of movement, an introduction to different types of movement, and knowledge of how movement benefits the body. The UC staff prepared implementation protocols and the size and weight of the participants were examined at regular intervals. Parents conducted surveys and participants conducted group interviews to assess the program’s impact.
The results, published in Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, showed that two participants lost a significant amount of weight and others retained their weight during the study. Participants and parents were satisfied with the program and reported changes in knowledge and behavior.
Meeting with attendees and parents and getting their support, Nabors said, also provided knowledge for the team and helped involve UC students in target selection and attainment of attendees’ chosen goals.
“Not every week has been positive, some people have had difficulty communicating with us and / or their guardians. Like everyone else, we have our good and bad days, ”notes study co-author Abby Overstreet, who was in her junior year of health education and promotion at UC when the study was taking place. As part of the study team, Overstreet helped create the weekly lessons and tracked each individual to check their progress. “Making changes to be healthier is challenging for anyone, but with a little encouragement they would eventually achieve their goals,” says Overstreet, now a senior.
Young adults, in this case those with ASD and ID, are more likely to get well if they eat healthy foods they like and exercise in ways they enjoy. “
Kara Ayers, PhD, associate director of UC’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and researcher with the Cincinnati Children’s Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Co-author Christina Carnahan, PhD, Associate Professor of Special Education at the UC School of Education, worked with the team on how best to deliver the weekly class hours to attendees.
“Dr. Carnahan’s guidance on communication strategies has been invaluable in ensuring that health messages get through to our audiences,” says Nabors.
Although the results are preliminary and require studies with control groups and assessing weight and behavioral changes over time, the team concluded that the overall intervention resulted in improved knowledge and health behaviors.
Source:
Journal reference:
Nabors, L., et al. (2021) Evaluation of a Pilot Healthy Eating and Exercise Program for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities. Advances in neurodevelopmental disorders. doi.org/10.1007/s41252-021-00214-w.
