Badminton Improves Executive Function in Adults Living with Mild Intellectual Disability

Yifan Wang, Xueping Wu () and Huawei Chen
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Yifan Wang: College of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
Xueping Wu: College of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
Huawei Chen: Sports Department, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: Background: Adults with intellectual disability have limited executive function—which includes working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control subcomponents—making their ability to live independently challenging. The present study explored whether a badminton intervention program could improve the executive function of adults living with a mild intellectual disability, but with no physical disability. Methods: This randomized controlled study randomly assigned 30 adults with mild intellectual disabilities recruited from Shanghai Sunshine bases in Shanghai (20 males and 10 females; mean age, 35.80 (3.93) years) to a badminton intervention program ( n = 15, training for 12 weeks, 3 times/week, 60 min each time) or the control group ( n = 15), which received a typical physical education course consisting primarily of gymnastics. Correct response rates and response times on the Stroop test, n-back task, and task switching were analyzed using two-way analyses of variance, followed by simple effects tests to evaluate inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, respectively, before and after the badminton intervention. Results: No significant difference was detected between the badminton group and the control group ( p > 0.05) for their pre-test scores on any subcomponent of executive function. A 2 × 2 repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a significant increase in accuracy in the inhibitory control task for the badminton group after the intervention ( p < 0.05). In addition, the accuracy rate and reaction time in a working memory task were significantly improved in the badminton group after the intervention ( p < 0.05). Although some improvement in cognitive flexibility was observed for this group after the intervention, it was not statistically significant ( p > 0.05). In the control group, there was no significant difference in any executive function subcomponents after the intervention ( p > 0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that badminton may be used as an effective intervention to improve the executive function of adults with a mild intellectual disability and that our protocol may inform future badminton exercise intervention programs.

Keywords: mild intellectual disability; badminton; executive function; adult; exercise rehabilitation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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