Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategies
Anxiety is a common comorbidity for individuals with ASD, and there is some preliminary data about the efficacy of physical exercise to alleviate anxiety. However, we are not aware of any studies that have compared the effects of a physical exercise program on anxiety in underserved children with AS...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | MethodsX |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016123003291 |
| _version_ | 1797405445587992576 |
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| author | Angelina Lo Lea Ann Lowery Karen Kuhlthau Robert A. Parker James Chan Fadia Haddad Shlomit Radom-Aizik Jean-G. Gehricke |
| author_facet | Angelina Lo Lea Ann Lowery Karen Kuhlthau Robert A. Parker James Chan Fadia Haddad Shlomit Radom-Aizik Jean-G. Gehricke |
| author_sort | Angelina Lo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anxiety is a common comorbidity for individuals with ASD, and there is some preliminary data about the efficacy of physical exercise to alleviate anxiety. However, we are not aware of any studies that have compared the effects of a physical exercise program on anxiety in underserved children with ASD using a randomized controlled research design. This paper describes a method to evaluate and compare the efficacy of an 8-week physical exercise intervention with a sedentary play intervention to alleviate anxiety in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) from underserved backgrounds. We assessed anxiety and its physical symptoms using the parent-rated Child Behavior Checklist DSM-5 anxiety (CBCL DSM-5) subscale, the child-rated Screen for Childhood Anxiety Related Emotional Disorder (SCARED), the parent-rated Child's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and salivary cortisol. We also utilized the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) to assess physical activity level and identify compounds. Unique components of this study include: • Implementation of novel physical exercise and sedentary play interventions that have been designed for children with ASD. • Recruitment of predominantly underserved and non-English speaking families. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:10:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8ec1f7f01a3d40328feef907b61ddca1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2215-0161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:10:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | MethodsX |
| spelling | doaj.art-8ec1f7f01a3d40328feef907b61ddca12023-12-04T05:22:22ZengElsevierMethodsX2215-01612023-12-0111102332Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategiesAngelina Lo0Lea Ann Lowery1Karen Kuhlthau2Robert A. Parker3James Chan4Fadia Haddad5Shlomit Radom-Aizik6Jean-G. Gehricke7University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. 1001 Health Sciences Rd, Irvine, CA 92617, USAThompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri. 205 Portland Street, Columbia, MO 65211, USAMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard University. 125 Nashua Street 8th Floor Boston, MA 02114, USAMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard University. 125 Nashua Street 8th Floor Boston, MA 02114, USAMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard University. 125 Nashua Street 8th Floor Boston, MA 02114, USAPediatric Exercise & Genomics Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine. 101 Academy, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92617, USAPediatric Exercise & Genomics Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine. 101 Academy, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92617, USAThe Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, 2500 Red Hill Ave #100, Santa Ana, CA 92705, USA; Corresponding author.Anxiety is a common comorbidity for individuals with ASD, and there is some preliminary data about the efficacy of physical exercise to alleviate anxiety. However, we are not aware of any studies that have compared the effects of a physical exercise program on anxiety in underserved children with ASD using a randomized controlled research design. This paper describes a method to evaluate and compare the efficacy of an 8-week physical exercise intervention with a sedentary play intervention to alleviate anxiety in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) from underserved backgrounds. We assessed anxiety and its physical symptoms using the parent-rated Child Behavior Checklist DSM-5 anxiety (CBCL DSM-5) subscale, the child-rated Screen for Childhood Anxiety Related Emotional Disorder (SCARED), the parent-rated Child's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and salivary cortisol. We also utilized the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) to assess physical activity level and identify compounds. Unique components of this study include: • Implementation of novel physical exercise and sedentary play interventions that have been designed for children with ASD. • Recruitment of predominantly underserved and non-English speaking families.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016123003291Physical Exercise to Reduce Anxiety |
| spellingShingle | Angelina Lo Lea Ann Lowery Karen Kuhlthau Robert A. Parker James Chan Fadia Haddad Shlomit Radom-Aizik Jean-G. Gehricke Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategies MethodsX Physical Exercise to Reduce Anxiety |
| title | Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategies |
| title_full | Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategies |
| title_fullStr | Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategies |
| title_short | Effects of physical exercise, LEGO, and Minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism: Study design and methodological strategies |
| title_sort | effects of physical exercise lego and minecraft activities on anxiety in underserved children with autism study design and methodological strategies |
| topic | Physical Exercise to Reduce Anxiety |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016123003291 |
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