Impact of adapted bicycle riding on outcomes for children and adolescents with disabilities: A systematic review.

AIM: To review the evidence for the effects of adapted bicycle riding on body structures and functions, activity, participation, and quality of life outcomes in children with disabilities, along with family-level participation outcomes.

METHOD: A systematic review with searches of nine electronic databases to identify studies involving participants with a developmental disability aged 4 to 18 years who used a dynamic adapted bicycle was completed in August 2021. Risk of bias was assessed based on individual study designs. A narrative synthesis integrated the findings of the included studies. Certainty of evidence was synthesized using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

Ten studies were included with 234 participants. Five studies reported outcomes at the body structures and functions level, ten reported activity-level outcomes, two reported participation-related outcomes, and none assessed quality of life or family participation in social and recreational activities.

INTERPRETATION: Adapted bicycle riding interventions may improve gross motor function, enhance lower-limb muscle strength, and promote physical activity; however, certainty of evidence of effects was rated very low using GRADE. Further research is required to understand the impact of adapted bicycle riding on the participation outcomes of children and adolescents with disabilities and on family-level participation in social and recreational activities.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Adapted bicycle riding interventions may improve motor functions and physical activity. Evidence about participation outcomes after adapted bicycle riding is limited. Research on adapted bicycle riding interventions in natural settings is needed.