Adapted Judo as a Multidimensional Intervention: Effects on Physical Fitness and Psychosocial Well-Being in Adolescents with Down Syndrome

Q: What effects did adapted judo have on physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome?

Adapted judo significantly improved physical fitness components, particularly muscular strength and balance, and also increased flexibility to a lesser extent.

Q: How did the intervention influence psychosocial well-being?

Participants showed enhanced self-esteem and greater perceived social interaction, indicating positive outcomes beyond physical health.

Q: How was the study designed and how long was the adapted judo program?

A quasi-experimental design was used with 43 adolescents assigned to control (n=19) and intervention (n=24) groups. The intervention group completed a 24-week adapted judo program.

Sep 30, 2026

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Adolescents with Down syndrome often face constraints in both physical fitness and psychosocial well-being, which can hinder health and social inclusion. This quasi-experimental study analyzed the impact of a 24-week adapted judo intervention on physical fitness and psychosocial outcomes. Forty-three adolescents were assigned to a control group (n=19) or an intervention group (n=24). Standardized tests measured strength, balance, and flexibility, while validated questionnaires assessed self-esteem and social interaction. Results showed significant improvements, especially in muscular strength and balance (p<0.05), along with enhanced psychosocial well-being.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

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Article Adapted Judo as a Multidimensional Intervention: Effects on Physical Fitness and Psychosocial Well-Being in Adolescents with Down Syndrome Borja Suarez-Villadat 1, *, Mario Montero 2,3, Sonia Montero 2,3, Adrián López-García 4 and Ariel Villagra 5 Academic Editor: Jorge Pérez-Gómez Received: 18 November 2025 Revised: 7 December 2025 Accepted: 26 December 2025 Published: 30 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28922 Madrid, Spain 2 Faculty of Sport Science, Pablo Olavide University, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; [mrmntr@uax.es](mrmntr@uax.es) (M.M.); [smontero@uax.es](smontero@uax.es) (S.M.) 3 Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Alfonso X el Sabio University, 28691 Madrid, Spain 4 Sport Sciences Research Centre, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28942 Madrid, Spain; adrnlpz@uax.es 5 Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain; [ariel.villagra@uam.es](ariel.villagra@uam.es) * Correspondence: bsuarez@urjc.es Highlights What are the main findings? • Adapted judo significantly improved physical fitness components (strength, balance, and flexibility) in adolescents with Down syndrome. • The intervention also enhanced psychosocial well-being, including self-esteem and social interaction. What are the implications of the main findings? • Adapted judo can be considered a multidimensional strategy for promoting health and inclusion in adolescents with Down syndrome. • These findings support the integration of adapted martial arts into physical education and therapeutic programs. Abstract Background/Objectives: Adolescents with Down syndrome often present limitations in physical fitness and psychosocial well-being, which can affect their health and social inclusion. Adapted physical activity programs, such as martial arts, may offer multidimensional benefits. This study aimed to analyze the effects of an adapted judo intervention on physical fitness and psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was applied with 43 adolescents diagnosed with Down syndrome, allocated to a control group (n = 19) and an intervention group (n = 24). Participants in the intervention group completed a 24-week adapted judo program. Physical fitness was assessed through standardized tests for strength, balance, and flexibility, while psychosocial well-being was evaluated using validated questionnaires on self-esteem and social interaction. Pre-and post-intervention comparisons were conducted using appropriate statistical analyses. Results: Participants showed significant improvements in physical fitness components, particularly in muscular strength and balance (p < 0.05). Flexibility also increased, although to a lesser extent. Psychosocial measures revealed enhanced self-esteem and greater perceived social interaction, indicating positive effects beyond physical health. Conclusions: Adapted judo appears to bean effective multidimensional intervention for adolescents with Down syndrome, promoting both physical and psychosocial benefits. These findings support the inclusion of adapted martial arts in physical education and therapeutic programs aimed at fostering health and social participation in this population. Keywords: adapted judo; Down syndrome; physical fitness; psychosocial well-being; inclusive physical activity 1. Introduction Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability worldwide, resulting from the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 [1,2] . Its prevalence is approximately 1 in 1000 live birth [1] . Individuals with

FAQs

What effects did adapted judo have on physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome?

Adapted judo significantly improved physical fitness components, particularly muscular strength and balance, and also increased flexibility to a lesser extent.

How did the intervention influence psychosocial well-being?

Participants showed enhanced self-esteem and greater perceived social interaction, indicating positive outcomes beyond physical health.

How was the study designed and how long was the adapted judo program?

A quasi-experimental design was used with 43 adolescents assigned to control (n=19) and intervention (n=24) groups. The intervention group completed a 24-week adapted judo program.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Patrick