1. Introduction
intellectual disabilities, intellectual disability, Intellectual disability
PHYSICAL DISABILITY
Background: Adults with intellectual disability have limited executive function—which includes working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control subcomponents—making their ability to live independently challenging. The present study explored whether a badminton intervention program could improve the executive function of adults living with a mild intellectual disability, but with no physical disability. Methods: This randomized controlled study randomly assigned 30 adults with mild intellectual disabilities recruited from Shanghai Sunshine bases in Shanghai (20 males and 10 females; mean age, 35.80 (3.93) years) to a badminton intervention program (Executive function refers to the efficient, orderly, and purposeful behaviors of individuals who process and coordinate cognitive links during complex cognitive activities to achieve specific goals [Intellectual disability is a functional disability characterized by significant limitations to intellectual functions and adaptive behaviors [There is a close relationship between exercise and executive function. It has been well documented that healthy physical fitness is positively correlated with executive function, and all components of healthy physical fitness are related to executive function. Frost conducted tests of cardiopulmonary function and executive function in 99 elderly people and concluded that the higher the level of cardiopulmonary fitness was, the better the executive function was [Badminton is an open skills sport. It requires participants to select appropriate actions over a short time to return the shuttlecock over the net to the opposing team by various hitting and footwork techniques. Hitting the shuttlecock in different directions with varying heights and speeds can improve the excitability and sensitivity of the nervous system and increase the number of muscle fibers involved in the sport. These characteristics have been shown to improve the executive function and physical function of people who have played badminton for a long time [However, the effect of badminton on the executive function of adults living with intellectual disability is unclear owing to inconsistent results among the existing studies. Therefore, the present randomized, controlled study explored whether 12 weeks of badminton skills training improved the executive function of adults with a mild intellectual disability, but no physical disability. According to the relevant article by Michal, it is suggested that comprehensive rehabilitation elements are effective in practice. The prosocial behavior level of people with an intellectual disability is low, and comprehensive methods should be paid attention to in the process of intervention. Interventions that strictly follow the individual characteristics of the subjects have a higher probability of success [