The relationship between physical activity level and quality of life of children with autism Spectrum disorder

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this research is to the quality of life levels of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and physical activity (PA) level. Materials and Methods: 28 children with ASD participated in the research. A sociodemographic form consisting of 25 questions about the child and parents, the " Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory- Parent Form (PedsQL)" consisting of 23 questions to evaluate the QoL of children and adolescents, and the "Physical Activity Scale for Children (PAQ-C)" consisting of 9 questions to determine the level of PA was administered to the participants. Results: 28 children with ASD, including 8 girls and 20 boys, aged 8-18 participated in the study. The average PedsQL score of the children diagnosed with ASD was found to be 49.87±19.08. The association between children's PA level and QoL was investigated using Pearson Correlation analysis. No statistically significant correlation was determined between the PedsQL total score and the PAQ-C score (p>0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation was determined between psychosocial health and PAQ-C, one of the sub-scores of PedsQL (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the research results; we can state that the psychosocial well-being of children with ASD and the social function parameter among the sub-parameters are more negatively affected. Although there is no association between children's PA levels and their QoL, there is a link between psychosocial QoL and PA levels.