Health and Fitness Indicators of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in China: Performance Differences among Disability Levels

Background: Limited research has examined health and fitness indicators among individuals with different categories of intellectual disabilities (ID). The purpose of this brief report was to examine differences in health and physical fitness indicators among individuals with different levels of ID. Method: Individuals (n = 203) with mild, moderate, and severe ID completed a health and fitness screening. The health screening included blood pressure and lung capacity. Fitness measures were body composition, balance, and strength. We conducted multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) to examine level differences, controlling for age and gender. Results: Individuals with severe ID had significantly lower lung capacity than those with moderate ID, who had lower than those with mild ID. Individuals with mild ID had significantly higher handgrip strength than those with moderate ID, who had higher strength than those with severe ID. Conclusions: Lung capacity and handgrip strength are sensitive health and physical fitness risk markers for ID levels in China.