Acceptability of FitSkills in the Irish Context for Young People With Childhood-onset Physical Disability
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Gym based exercise.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Physical Disability. Basic parameters: 13 years — 24 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
The Feasibility and Acceptability of Translating FitSkills to the Irish Context to Facilitate Physical Activity Participation for Young People With Childhood-onset Physical Disability
Overview
FitSkills is an evidence based community based gym programme developed in Australia. It was developed in response to the barriers people with disability experience to accessing community-based physical activity. Within FitSkills, people with disability are paired with university students who act as a peer mentor. Pairs exercise together at a community gym location twice a week for 12 weeks. FitSkills has been shown to improve physical and social health among people with disabilities. FitSkills has not been delivered outside of Australia. The investigators are assessing how practical it is to deliver FitSkills in Ireland with the support of healthcare and physical activity professionals. The investigators want to understand the demand for this programme among young people with childhood-onset physical disability aged 13-24 years. In addition, the investigators want to learn if taking part in FitSkills influences exercise confidence and mental health and well-being among young people with childhood-onset physical disability.
Interventions
- Other Gym based exercise
12 week community gym exercise programme. Twice weekly gym sessions for 60 minutes. Peer support provided by a third level healthcare student from host university. Standardised exercise programme developed by gym staff with support from the investigators. Goals and preferences of participants considered in programme development. This is the only intervention and there is no additional intervention provided
Primary outcome measures
- Participant recruitment (Reach) [Time frame: Up to 6 months from study opening for recruitment]
- Adoption by healthcare and physical activity professionals [Time frame: Up to 7 months from first participant initiation of the intervention]
- Intervention Feasibility [Time frame: Up to 7 months from first participant initiation of the intervention]
- Feasibility of the Intervention (Feasibility Intervention Measure) [Time frame: At completion of professional involvement in intervention implementation (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)]
- Feasibility of collaboration between professionals [Time frame: Up to 7 months from first participant initiation of the intervention]
- Acceptability of the intervention among professionals [Time frame: At completion of the intervention (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)]
- Acceptability of the intervention ( Acceptability of Intervention Measure) [Time frame: At completion of professional involvement in intervention implementation (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)]
- Appropriateness of the intervention ( Intervention Appropriateness Measure) [Time frame: At completion of professional involvement in intervention implementation (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)]
- Acceptability of the intervention among young people [Time frame: At completion of the intervention (up to 7 months from first participant initiation)]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Exercise self efficacy ( Exercise Self Efficacy Scale) [Time frame: Baseline (prior to intervention initiation) and at 12 weeks (end of intervention)]
- Mental health and well-being (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form) [Time frame: Baseline (prior to intervention initiation) and at 12 weeks (end of intervention)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Have a primary physical disability diagnosis, either congenital or acquired by age 15
- Are aged between 13-24 years
- Have not taken part in a regular gym programme in the previous 3 months (i.e. at least once a week for 3 months)
- Can follow instructions in English
- Are fit and well enough to participate in exercise
Exclusion criteria
- Have an acute or concurrent medical condition rendering them unfit to participate in moderate-level physical activity
- If they had an impaired ability to take part safely in a gym environment due to significant behavioural challenges.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Publications
- Brady K, Ryan J, Cooper A, Shields N, Sofiany M, Malone A. Collaborative practice to support community-based physical activity for young people with childhood-onset physical disability: A scoping review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2026 Feb 16. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.70209. Online ahead of print. PMID 41699938
- Shields N, Cleary SL, McKenzie G, Hawke L, Bury S, Taylor NF. 'Have a go, you might surprise yourself': a qualitative study of the experiences of autistic adolescents and young adults of a community gym-based exercise programme. Disabil Rehabil. 2026 Feb 9:1-16. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2026.2627626. Online ahead of print. PMID 41660938
- Shields N, Bhowon Y, Prendergast L, Cleary S, Taylor NF. Fostering positive attitudes towards interacting with young people with disability among health students: a stepped-wedge trial. Disabil Rehabil. 2024 Mar;46(6):1212-1219. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2193429. Epub 2023 Apr 26. PMID 37101339
- Shields N, Willis C, Imms C, Prendergast LA, Watts JJ, van Dorsselaer B, McKenzie G, Bruder AM, Taylor NF; FitSkills Partnership Project Group; FitSkills partnership project group. FitSkills: protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of a community-based exercise programme to increase participation among young people with disability. BMJ Open. 2020 Jul 8;10(7):e037153. doi: 10.1136/bmj PMID 32641337
- Shields N, Willis C, Imms C, McKenzie G, van Dorsselaer B, Bruder AM, Kennedy RA, Bhowon Y, Southby A, Prendergast LA, Watts JJ, Taylor NF. Feasibility of scaling-up a community-based exercise program for young people with disability. Disabil Rehabil. 2022 May;44(9):1669-1681. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1903103. Epub 2021 Mar 30. PMID 33784487
- McKenzie G, Shields N, Willis C. 'Finding what works for me' - a qualitative study of factors influencing community gym participation for young adults with cerebral palsy. Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Jun;45(12):1984-1991. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2083243. Epub 2022 Jun 12. PMID 35694973
- Shields N, Bhowon Y, Willis C, Taylor NF, Bohingamu Mudiyanselage S, Watts JJ, Imms C, Prendergast LA. A community-based physical activity intervention (FitSkills) can improve participation attendance of young people with disability: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial. Br J Sports Med. 2025 Oct 10;59(20):1426-1434. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-109877. PMID 40829864
- Shields N, Mizzi N, Buhlert-Smith K, Strydom A, Prendergast L, Hocking DR. A 12-week exercise programme has a positive effect on everyday executive function in young people with Down syndrome: a pilot non-randomised controlled trial. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2022 Dec;66(12):924-938. doi: 10.1111/jir.12979. Epub 2022 Sep 13. PMID 36101998
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07703306 · 202510045