Relationship between balance and co-ordination and football participation in adolescents with intellectual disability

Balance and motor coordination problems are often seen in persons with intellectual disability (ID). This study aimed to examine the relationship between balance and coordination and football participation in adolescents with ID. The study involved 197 male participants with ID aged between 14 and 19 years (16.22±2.00), of which 110 (65 mild ID, 45 moderate ID) played soccer in a school team, and 87 (48 mild ID, 39 moderate ID) did not participate in any sport. Balance and coordination skills were evaluated using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, second edition short form (BOT-2 SF). A significant positive relationship was found between all the balance and co-ordination sub-tests and the duration of playing football in the adolescents with ID (p<0.05). Balance and co-ordination scores were significantly higher in both the mild and moderate ID participants, who played football compared with the individuals with ID who did no sport (p<0.05). In adolescents with moderate ID, the difference in the 7th item of the balance sub-test was not significant. The results indicate that football participation and balance and coordination are related in adolescents with mild and moderate ID.Keywords: Intellectual disability; Balance; Coordination; Bruininks-Oseretsky Test; Motor skills; Football participatio