On World Sight Day, Insight and Vision Ireland publish physical activity in Ireland survey

October 9, 2024: Adults and children who are blind or vision impaired in Ireland are less likely to meet the physical activity recommendations of the World Health Organisation than the general population, a new study from the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics at DCU and Vision Ireland has found.

A survey of children places one third of recipients in the ‘health risk’ category. World Sight Day on Thursday October 10, 2024, focuses the world’s attention on the importance of eye care in young people and inspiring children everywhere to love their eyes.

Physical activity has a role in the prevention of illnesses such as diabetes, dementia and some cancers. Specific benefits for people who are blind or vision impaired include improved mobility, proprioception and reduced risk of falling. Engagement levels in physical activity by people who are blind or vision impaired are thought to be lower than the population average but to date there have been no relevant studies conducted in Ireland.

Researchers at the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics at Dublin City University (DCU), working with Vision Ireland and Vision Sports Ireland, have now published the findings of two studies;  53 children and 345 adults who are blind or vision impaired provided inputs that establish baseline data on physical activity participation.

Pictured: Children playing football at a Vision Sports event in May 2024

Some key findings:

Children:

• 9.6% of children surveyed met the physical activity recommendations* set out by the World Health Organisation, compared to 15% of the general population
• A third of children who are blind or vision impaired who participated in fundamental movement skills assessment were found to be in the ‘health risk’ category, indicating low cardiovascular endurance and low muscle strength
• Children who are blind or vision impaired spent less time in PE Class than other students – 58.6 minutes/week compared to 85 mins in the primary school population, and 73 mins in the secondary school population.

Adults:

• 21.7% of respondents met WHO guidelines*, compared to 41% of the general population
• Those who had no vision were found to be more active than those who had ‘low vision’ or ‘useful vision’
• Transport (54.8%) and a lack of access to activities (47.0%) were most commonly identified as barriers to participation

(* 60 minutes moderate to vigorous physical activity a day)

“The stark findings from this research are of great concern to Vision Ireland and Vision Sports Ireland, the national governing body for sport for people who are blind or vision impaired. Low levels of engagement and the subsequent findings highlight the need for increased awareness and education on the importance of being physically active, and sector wide response from all local sports partnerships and national governing bodies, to ensure programmes are accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired.” Kristina Millar, National Impact and Insights Manager, Vision Ireland

“This research highlights the low levels of physical activity in children and adults who are blind or vision impaired – an area that had not been studied in Ireland previously. Exploring and identifying barriers to physical activity participation is the first step to increasing activity levels in this important group and will form the basis for future research. We are very grateful to the participants for taking part and Vision Ireland and Vision Sports Ireland for their support.” Dr. Lisa Flynn, School of Health and Human Performance, DCU

“While the findings presented are stark, this research is timely in that it provides a snapshot of the current landscape in Ireland. This allows for intervention and measuring progress, something which is vital to ensure progress. This collaboration between DCU, Insight and Vision Sports allows for the greatest impact, ensuring research does not just sit on a shelf, but actually has real world impact and hopefully can help inform policy and strategy for years to come.” Dr Stephen Behan, Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics

Researchers involved: Dr. Lisa Flynn, Kristina Millar, Dr. Sarahjane Belton, Prof. Noel O’Connor, Dr. Sarah Meegan, Dr. Úna Britton and Dr. Stephen Behan.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1936657424000165

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024108870