Caregiver-Associated Physical Activity Patterns, Dietary Behaviors and Interventional Beliefs in Individuals with Down Syndrome: Insights from a Large European Survey

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Background: Lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity significantly impact on the risk of obesity in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). However, in the absence of national nutritional guidelines in individuals with DS, further work is needed to understand their dietary and physical activity patterns. In this work we retrieved caregivers’ responses on those aspects. Methods: We analyzed data from a cross-sectional online survey of caregivers of individuals with DS conducted as part of the GO-DS21 project and reported in the accompanying paper (nutrients-4216283) (n = 764). We explored physical activity patterns, dietary habits, beliefs around weight-loss interventions and caregiver confidence that family members with DS would engage in a healthier lifestyle. Associations were examined using correlation analysis, and cumulative and binary logistic regression models. Results: Caregivers reported that most individuals with DS exercised 1–3 times per week, with frequency declining with age. Males were more likely to exercise daily than females. Caregiver exercise frequency was positively correlated with that of their DS family member (ρ = 0.521, p < 0.001), suggesting clustering of shared health behaviors within households. In adjusted models, caregivers who exercised regularly had up to thirteen-fold higher odds of having a physically active family member with DS (aOR = 13.02, 95% CI: 7.40–24.06, p < 0.001). Fried food consumption and higher snack frequency were independently associated with perceived obesity status, while sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was not. Caregivers favored exercise as a weight-loss strategy, while anti-obesity drugs were endorsed by only 11% of caregivers primarily and were more likely to be endorsed when obesity was perceived (aOR = 4.21, 95% CI: 2.44–7.39, p < 0.001). Finally, caregiver confidence that their family member with DS would engage in healthier behaviors was associated with perceived obesity status and strongly associated with higher physical activity levels (aOR 14.68, 95% CI: 6.59–33.40, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this large European caregiver survey, reported consumption of selected energy-dense foods was generally low, although fried food intake and higher snack frequency were associated with perceived obesity. Physical activity patterns were closely aligned between caregivers and individuals with DS, suggesting shared household health behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of involving caregivers and family environments in lifestyle interventions aimed at supporting physical activity and weight management in individuals with DS.

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