Physical Activity, Sedentary Pursuits, and their Determinants in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting physical activity (PA) and sedentary pursuits of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) throughout the week, during weekdays, and on weekend days. Sixty-eight children with ASD aged 6–17 years participated in this study. An ActiGraph accelerometer and activity log were used to assess PA and sedentary pursuits. The findings were (a) 6-8-year-old children with ASD demonstrating the highest level of overall PA throughout the week; (b) the weekends’ PA of the group of 6-8-year-old children with ASD was significantly higher than 9-11-year-old, 12-14-year-old, and 15-17-year-old children with ASD; (c) the single-parented children with ASD showed significantly less PA level during weekend days compared with two-parented children with ASD; (d) the children with ASD having comorbidities demonstrated significantly more time in sedentary pursuits compared to those children without comorbidities; (e) age, household structure, and comorbidities were significant predictors in the overall PA, weekend PA, and weekend sedentary pursuits, respectively. Future programs or interventions are required to promote PA participation in children with ASD, especially for older children with ASD, based on their personal (i.e., age and comorbidities) and environmental (i.e., household structure) profile and day of the week.