Relationships Between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Parent-child Dyads with ASD

Yu Song^1*Bo Shen²Yanli Pang¹Liangshan Dong³

• ¹Department of Physical Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
• ²Division of Kinesiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
• ³Department of Physical Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China

Researchers have established that the core and associated symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) adversely affect the quality of life (QOL) for both children with ASD and their parents. While it is well-documented that participation in physical activity (PA) can enhance overall QOL and well-being, few studies have examined this relationship within parent-child dyads affected by ASD. To address this gap, the present study investigated the associations between leisure-time PA and QOL, considering family contexts through the lens of reciprocal determinism theory. The study recruited 85 parent-child dyads from two autism rehabilitation centers in China. Children had a mean age of 5.25 years, and 75.3% of parents were aged between 31 and 40 years. Partial correlation analysis, controlling for age, sex, and symptom severity, identified several significant reciprocal associations between PA levels in parent-child pairs and between children’s PA and their parents’ QOL within the family context. Light-intensity physical activity (LPA) appeared particularly promising, given its accessibility and suitability for joint participation. These findings suggest that LPA may serve as a viable intervention strategy to improve QOL in families with ASD, highlighting the potential for further research and practical implementation.