‘Walk Buds’: A walking programme to increase physical activity, physical fitness and emotional wellbeing, in 9–13 yr old children with intellectual disability. A study protocol for a clustered RCT

Young people with intellectual disabilities are traditionally less physically fit compared to their non-disabled peers. While the health benefits of increasing physical activity are evident, there remains a lack of evidence on how to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in young people with intellectual disabilities. Walking interventions, including those delivered in school settings, have been found to significantly increase physical activity levels of young people without disabilities. However, to date there has been a paucity of studies testing walking interventions for young people with intellectual disabilities in school settings. In an earlier study we developed the Walk Buds school-based walking programme for children with intellectual disability (aged 9–13 yrs), which incorporated a paired buddy component. We plan to conduct a clustered feasibility RCT that will enable us to examine the acceptability of the Walk Buds programme, randomisation, and outcome measures, check the fidelity programme delivery, and identify the facilitators and barriers to the implementation of the programme. This study is a two-arm, cRCT feasibility trial where eight schools will be randomised into either an intervention arm (Walk Buds) or an ‘exercise as usual’ arm. We are aiming to recruit between 130 and 160 young people with intellectual disabilities. Outcome measures will be recorded at baseline and three-months post-intervention. A process evaluation will explore the factors that could impact on the internal and external validity of a future cRCT and the intervention's logic model. Walk Buds is the first theoretically underpinned, peer-led, multi-component, manualised school-based walking programme that aims to increase physical activity, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing in 9–13 yr old children with intellectual disabilities.