The Relationship Between Sleep and Physical Activity for Children With Visual Impairments: A Scoping Review

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Introduction: Sleep is a biological process that is fundamental to health and well-being. It both influences and is influenced by our physical functioning. Individuals with visual impairments (ie, blindness or low vision) may experience a variety of barriers when trying to access physical activity. Physical activity is also linked to sleep as it can promote better sleep, but it is also affected when sleep is disrupted. Given the essential nature of sleep to functioning, it is important that research documents the diverse links among these three distinct processes (i.e., sleep, visual impairment, and physical activity). Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review is to review the existing literature to determine any links found between sleep, physical activity, and youths with visual impairments. Methods: This study followed the five-stage approach for scoping reviews set out by, namely (a) identifying the research question, (b) identifying relevant studies or articles, (c) study or article selection, (d) charting the data, and (e) collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. A scoping review was selected as the most appropriate method to explore and summarize the depth of available evidence. Findings: Five studies were identified that related to physical activity, sleep, and screen time in youths with visual impairments. There were two main findings in these studies: (a) meeting the guidelines and (b) intervention effects. Implications for Practitioners: Children and youths with visual impairments are clearly not achieving minimal guidelines for sleep or physical activity. Research must be conducted with the children and their families to determine what affects sleep and physical activity to understand potential interventions.