THURS-094 - Developing the Eat and Exercise to Win Program for Adolescents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Brief Abstract Summary: Gain information about co-design of the Eat and Exercise to Win Manual developed by parents, adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and our team. Discover ideas presented by adolescents with IDD and parents to help them learn, be motivated, and set goals to improve their healthy eating and exercise behaviors. Learn about manual and intervention development and design of visually-based materials that are easy to present to adolescents with IDD so that they can learn about their health -- eating more fruits and vegetables, eating MyPlate meals, exercising more, and eating healthy snacks. Moving more can involve chair exercises, stretching, and team sports that are fun and engaging for youth. Working together provides parents and adolescents with a sense of ownership and engages them in the lifelong process of health promotion to achieve healthier lifestyles.

Detailed abstract description: This presentation highlights new information on the perspectives of adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their parents, and caregivers on the development and specialization of the Eat and Exercise to Win Manual and programming for adolescents. The program was redeveloped, with support of these key stakeholders to improve it, so that caregivers and parents can deliver it to engage adolescents and promote healthier lifestyles for this vulnerable and understudied group. An overview of the manual will be presented, with ideas of how it works for adolescents and parents – based on stakeholder feedback. Novel ideas for implementation of the lessons and for engaging adolescents with IDD will be revealed. This presentation provides valuable tools for health educators interested in implementing interactive programming for adolescents with IDD and their families as they strive to improve healthy eating and increase exercise for a healthy lifestyle for life! Discussion of ways to engage adolescents and increase their motivation for applying lessons focused on MyPlate, portion size, label reading, reducing soda intake, reducing stress, and improving sleep quality also will be discussed, while presenting resources and fun ideas for engaging adolescents and their families in increasing levels of physical activity. Review of the visually-oriented slides and the manual for parents and caregivers will provide practical tips for health educators working to train the trainers – parents and caregivers. Healthy recipes and ideas for preparing healthy snacks are other key ideas in the manual and interactive slides. Adolescents’ and parents’ ideas for using motivational interviewing and goal setting to make healthy changes will be discussed. Interviews were used to determine perspectives of adolescents, parents, and caregivers and key information from the interviews and the process of program development and design will be reviewed, so that others can replicate this planning and development process. Adolescents, parents, and caregivers were excited about the manual and presented ideas for the flexible, family-, and patient-centered delivery of the lessons, making the materials and lessons adolescent- and family-friendly, centered in a visual approach. Tailoring the lessons so that they meet the needs of the adolescent, and “fit” with existing food and exercise preferences is an important message to share with session attendees. All stakeholders agreed that ensuring that parents and caregivers can administer the program ensures dissemination and sustainability. In the future, administering this program in school settings and through Zoom interviews are avenues for program implementation. Other avenues for implementation include designing an interactive game format, involving experts in information technology to make the game fun, and engaging, or delivering the information (in a shorter format, using games) at health fairs.