The school of sports for adolescents with intellectual disability

The Sport School is an intervention which offers adolescents in adapted schools (age 13-20 years old) to participate in sport activities arranged by sport clubs during school time during 2024-2025. The long-term aim with the Sport School will promote adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) to be more physically active during their leisure time. The short-term aim is to raise the awareness of adolescents with ID that there are sport clubs with activities that suits them.

Persons with ID have worse health both physically and mentally than people in general. They are also less physically active and participate less in social activities which are risk factors for ill-health. The reasons are complex and research shows that cooperation between stakeholders and the role of support persons are important to be able to make a change.

During the last years several health interventions has been performed in Östersund and other municipalities in the region of Jämtland-Härjedalen. This specific intervention is unique because it is performed in cooperation between stakeholders.

The purpose of this research study is to increase the understanding of a physically active leisure time for adolescents with ID. The research study also aims to inform the cooperating stakeholders about the perceptions of the Sport School.

This qualitative research study will perform interviews with 15-20 adolescents with ID which have participated in the Sport School.

The research questions are:

• What do adolescents with ID perceive as important to be able to be physically active?
• What motivates adolescents to participate in sport activities during leisure time?
• How do adolescents wish that a good sport activity is designed in order for them to be able and like to participate?