Effect of the Adapted Soccer Programme on Psycho-Social Behaviors in Adolescents with Down Syndrome

Abstract

Several studies have demonstrated the profoundly favorable effect of routine physical activity on health, physical and mental growth of individuals with intellectual impairments. Different adapted sports activities for kids and teenagers with developmental impairments are increasingly used in real life. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the adapted soccer program on psychosocial behaviors in adolescents with Down syndrome. Forty Down syndrome adolescents (mean age of 15.8, level of range 40 -60) were divided into two groups using stratified random sampling (experimental and control). Each group consisted of twenty (n=20) subjects and was assigned to the experimental group and control group. The experimental group underwent an adapted soccer program for eight weeks, 3 sessions per week and each session 90 minutes. The control group did not take part in any activity of the study. Aggression, attention, anxiety, withdrawal and social problems were taken as criterion variables in this study. The pretest was taken before the program period and the posttest was conducted immediately after the eight-week program period. The criterion variables were assessed through the standard questionnaire (CBCL 6-18). The collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS 21 version from Two-way ANOVA, Independent sample t-test to find out the significant difference between the experimental group and control group. The result revealed the initial level, all five variables showed statistically significant improvement. However, the control group showed no significant differences during the same period. As a result, it was observed that the adapted soccer program for Down syndrome teenagers reduced anxiety, withdrawnness, attention issues, aggression and social problem. This study proved that an adapted soccer program would improve the psycho-social behaviors of Down syndrome adolescents.