Participation in Regular Physical Activity According to the Type of Disability, Sex, Point of Disability Diagnosis, and Ability to Walk Independently in South Korea

Abstract

This study aimed to compare rates of participation in physical activity according to the type of disability, sex, point of disability diagnosis (congenital vs. acquired), and ability to walk independently. The study involved individuals who were registered as disabled based on the 2020 Sports Survey for the Disabled project of the Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare. Participants (mean age: 49.94 ± 12.35 years) included those with physical disabilities (n = 889), visual impairments (n = 523), hearing/speech impairments (n = 412), intellectual disabilities (n = 561), and disabilities associated with brain lesions (n = 364). Rates of severe (100%) and congenital disability (65.95%) were highest in the intellectual disability group. Acquired disability was most frequent in the physical disability group (94.71%). The highest frequency of independent walking ability was observed in the hearing/speech impairment group (99.27%). The rate of participation in physical activity was significantly higher in the acquired (odds ratio [OR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12–1.87, p = 0.005) and independent walking (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.11–1.84, p = 0.005) hearing/speech impairment groups than in the corresponding physical disability groups after adjusting for age, sex, and severity. Our findings highlight the need to promote physical activity for people with physical and intellectual disabilities based on the factors examined in this study.