Outdoor Physical Activity and Play Among Canadian Children and Youth With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the National Physical Activity Measurement Study

in Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly

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Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1011-3669 *
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Raktim Mitra School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6712-8568
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Ritu Sharma Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

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Sarah A. Moore School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3712-0199
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2022-0080
Keywords:
childhood disability; built environment; parental support; socioecological model
First Published Online:
07 Feb 2023
In Print:
Volume 40: Issue 4
Page Range:
571–586
Restricted access

This study explored the association between socioecological factors and outdoor physical activity (PA) and play in children with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents (N = 133) completed a survey to report changes in their child’s outdoor PA and play during the pandemic (from prepandemic levels), and child, household, and neighborhood environment factors. Children with a PA-supporting parent and from multichild and White households had lower odds of reporting decreased outdoor PA. Children from multichild, higher income, married couple households and a PA-supporting parent had lower odds of decreased outdoor play. Living in neighborhoods with higher urbanization (i.e., high dwelling density, street intersections, and land-use mix) was associated with greater odds of decreased outdoor PA and play. Future research that uses larger and more representative samples of children with disabilities is needed to test for the multivariate effects of socioecological variables on outdoor PA and play.

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