Active Time in Cooperative Activities, Quality of Life and Body Mass Index in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. A Model of Structural Equations

Current research shows that individuals with intellectual disabilities do not engage in enough physical activity to acquire health benefits. However, cooperative learning has been shown to be an effective tool for inclusion and for improving healthy physical habits. The aim of this study is to contrast an explanatory model which incorporates quality of life, active time in cooperative activities, body mass index and age, as well as to analyze, using multi-group structural equations, the existing associations according to the sex of subjects with intellectual disabilities. The convenience sampling used allowed the collection of data from a total of 156 subjects in Granada (Spain), aged between 18–55 years. In terms of gender, the sample was homogeneous, representing 52.6% (n = 82) for women and 47.4% (n = 74) for men. The active time during the cooperative learning was recorded with the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 activity band, for the quality of life scale (GENCAT) was used, and the body mass index was calculated through its standardized equation. Age was directly associated with body mass index in both sexes. Likewise, age was positively related to the active time of women. Quality of life was directly associated with active time and body mass index was inversely related to active time. This study shows the importance of active time during work and cooperative learning in individuals with intellectual disabilities, as it is associated with an improvement in the quality of life and a reduction in the problems of sedentarism, overweight, and obesity.