Effect of Sports Activities on Behavioral-Emotional Problems of Students with Intellectual Disability

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of sports activities on behavioral-emotional problems of students with intellectual disability. Methods: Research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design and the control group. The study population consisted of all students with intellectual disability in Farashband City, Iran who were studying in 2013. The sample comprised 30 students with intellectual disability of Shoorideh School in Farashband City who were selected with convenience sampling method. They were randomly divided into 2 groups of 15 students as experimental and control groups. We used developmental behavior checklist as the instrument for measuring behavioralemotional problems. Before performing sports activities, teachers in both groups administered developmental behavior checklist as the pretest. Then experimental group was provided with the interventional program of sports activities for 24 sessions, 3 sessions per week, and each session lasted 60 minutes. The control group did not receive these sports activities. After performing the interventional program, teachers in both groups again filled developmental behavior checklist, this time as a posttest. Collected data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 19. Results: The mean total score of behavioral-emotional problems and their subscales in the experimental group significantly reduced (P<0.01). Conclusion: Sports activities are effective in improving behavioral-emotional problems of students with intellectual disability. Performing sports activities is recommended for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of behavioral-emotonal problems.