Caregiver-Associated Physical Activity Patterns, Dietary Behaviors and Interventional Beliefs in Individuals with Down Syndrome: Insights from a Large European Survey
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity significantly impact on the risk of obesity in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). However, in the absence of national nutritional guidelines in individuals with DS, further work is needed to understand their dietary and physical activity patterns. In this work we retrieved caregivers’ responses on those aspects. Methods: We analyzed data from a cross-sectional online survey of caregivers of individuals with DS conducted as part of the GO-DS21 project and reported in the accompanying paper (nutrients-4216283) (n = 764). We explored physical activity patterns, dietary habits, beliefs around weight-loss interventions and caregiver confidence that family members with DS would engage in a healthier lifestyle. Associations were examined using correlation analysis, and cumulative and binary logistic regression models. Results: Caregivers reported that most individuals with DS exercised 1–3 times per week, with frequency declining with age. Males were more likely to exercise daily than females. Caregiver exercise frequency was positively correlated with that of their DS family member (ρ = 0.521, p < 0.001), suggesting clustering of shared health behaviors within households. In adjusted models, caregivers who exercised regularly had up to thirteen-fold higher odds of having a physically active family member with DS (aOR = 13.02, 95% CI: 7.40–24.06, p < 0.001). Fried food consumption and higher snack frequency were independently associated with perceived obesity status, while sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was not. Caregivers favored exercise as a weight-loss strategy, while anti-obesity drugs were endorsed by only 11% of caregivers primarily and were more likely to be endorsed when obesity was perceived (aOR = 4.21, 95% CI: 2.44–7.39, p < 0.001). Finally, caregiver confidence that their family member with DS would engage in healthier behaviors was associated with perceived obesity status and strongly associated with higher physical activity levels (aOR 14.68, 95% CI: 6.59–33.40, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this large European caregiver survey, reported consumption of selected energy-dense foods was generally low, although fried food intake and higher snack frequency were associated with perceived obesity. Physical activity patterns were closely aligned between caregivers and individuals with DS, suggesting shared household health behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of involving caregivers and family environments in lifestyle interventions aimed at supporting physical activity and weight management in individuals with DS.
Source: Nutrients
DOI: 10.3390/nu18111692
Institutions: Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Inserm, Institut de génétique et de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, King's College London, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, University of London, Queen Mary University of London, William Harvey Research Institute, Sorbonne Université, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Institut du Cerveau, Helmholtz Munich, German Center for Diabetes Research, Technical University of Munich, Hospital Del Mar, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, University of Cambridge, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Fondation Jérôme-Lejeune, Phénotypage et ingénierie précliniques des systèmes d’organismes modèles, CELPHEDIA, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,499
Funders: Fundació la Marató de TV3, Wellcome Trust, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, Barts Charity, European Commission, Generalitat de Catalunya, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Medical Research Council, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Awards: G1005157577, G1081989936, G1118378225, G1171907724, G121809054, G1401168639, G1406946691, G1482478015, G1568717892, G1622782223, G1709043353, G1855990336, G2108555682, G2262748287, G2356618895, G2386377932, G2660406951, G2770559409, G3005324705, G3163305423, G3184222797, G3349658403, G3392608217, G3480869486, G3518538256, Neuropathological and amyloid peptide differences between DS and familial AD with duplications and missense mutations in APP gene, G3681454997, G4042783231, G425668148, G4442677895, Gene overdosage and comorbidities during the early lifetime in Down Syndrome, G451917667, G4526231891, G464105488, LonDownsPREVENT: A longitudinal study of the mechanisms of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and neurodegeneration in Down syndrome to inform AD prevention, G5196604791, G5421974903, G5635532810, G5644734788, G5856188278, G5929557949, G5967599077, G6033112984, G647145013, G6656126374, G7078520736, G7084143925, Adrenal dysfunction and obesity in Down Syndrome, G7520681623, G7863371703, JPND The locus coeruleus: at the crossroad of dementia syndromes, G825227316, G8440682578, Perceptual biases in the perception of moving stimuli. Do objective eye-movement measures predict subjective reports?, G8497050386, Adrenal dysfunction and obesity in Down Syndrome, G8667377315, G8909725079, G8920660035
OpenAlex ID: W7162425461