Age and sex-based differences in functional strength of adults participating in Special Olympics
Muscular strength is a critical component of physical health. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine age- and sex-based differences in functional strength and rates of referral for education in a large international sample of Special Olympics athletes. A total of 30,358 (male = 19,661) adult (20–69 years old) athlete functional strength records were utilized from the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes database. Descriptive statistics were computed for the following tests: timed sit to stand, partial sit-up, grip strength, and seated push-up. Analyses of variance with Fisher-Hayter pairwise comparisons generally supported age-related decreases in strength among both males and fe…
Association of poverty and social exclusion with body mass index among Special Olympics athletes in Europe.
Objectives To examine the association of a risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE), age, and gender with the body mass index (BMI) status of European Special Olympics athletes. Methods BMI records were available for 1905 children and youth and 5517 adults from the Special Olympics International (SOI) Health Promotion database. AROPE was extracted from EU Eurostat statistics. Logistic regression analyses were used to predict BMI status. Results For children/youth and adults, respectively, 9.4 and 6.3% were underweight and 25.3 and 44.6% were overweight/obese. Being underweight was significantly associated with higher AROPE rates. Being female and lower AROPE rates were significantly ass…
Muscular strength of adult Special Olympians by country economic status
There is a strong relationship between economic prosperity and health as well as between muscle strength and health (morbidity and mortality). However, very little research has concomitantly examined economic prosperity and muscular strength in the general population, and no studies have simultaneously examined these factors in a population of adults with intellectual disabilities. This study examined grip strength among adult Special Olympics participants by country economic status. A total of 12,132 (men = 65%) right and left hand grip strength records were available from the Special Olympics International (SOI) FUNFitness database. The 127 countries within the SOI dataset were grouped by…