EFFECT OF THE USE OF APPS, ACCOMPANYING A PROGRAM OF INTENSIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Abstract

Objective: to determine the effects produced by the use of apps in maintaining healthy habits and physical condition in people with intellectual disabilities. Material and method: a quasi-experimental study was conducted with a final sample of 17 adults with intellectual disabilities distributed in an experimental group and a control group. All participants have developed an intensive program of physical activity and training in healthy habits. The experimental group has used in addition to the above 2 apps of health-wellbeing and habit creation. The physical condition was evaluated before starting the intensive program of 10 weeks, immediately after and after 6 months. Results: when comparing the two groups with respect to the pre-intervention and post-intervention period, we observed that all the participants improved their physical condition (p < 0.05). Comparing the pre-intervention periods with 6 months later, both groups-maintained improvements, although not as relevant as at the post-intervention time. The experimental group significantly in the areas of strength in legs, strength in arms and balance. The control group in the areas of strength in legs. At 6 months after the intervention, the control group obtained worse results than the experimental group, records returned to base line values faster. Conclusions: performing a program of intensive physical activity of 10 weeks duration causes an improvement in the physical condition of all participants. Ac-companying the program with the use of the apps didn’t maintain the positive effects over time, although it favored a smaller loss of improvements.