The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #46003

Dorothy E. Nary, MA, Kimberly M. Pulvers, MA, and Glen W. White, PhD. RTC/IL, University of Kansas, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Dole 4089, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-4095, dotn@ku.edu

A physical activity program for persons with physical disabilities that can be pursued in the home may address many of the barriers to community-based programs experienced by persons with disabilities, such as lack of transportation, lack of resources, and inaccessibility of fitness facilities and equipment. This session will focus on an intervention based on a home physical activity program that enrolled participants of the Kansas Physical Disability Waiver Program. The intervention used adaptive aerobic videotapes as the basis for individualized physical activity programs. Self-report activity logs and videotaped physical activity sessions were used for data collection. Regular increases in minutes of activity per week and timed performance of ADL tasks served as measures. The study employed a changing criterion single subject design, to accommodate the various functioning levels of participants as well as the need to accommodate exacerbations in participants’ conditions at various times during the study. Results of the intervention and an educational brochure on home physical activity programs for people with physical disabilities will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify three low-cost and accessible activities on which persons with disabilities can base home physical activity programs.
• Identify three sources of information tht clinicians can access to adapt physical activity programs for persons with disabilities.
• Identify three effective behavioral techniques that can be used t0 assist persons with disabilities to adopt the habit of engaging in regular physical activity.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Disability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.