FitSkills is an evidence based community based gym programme developed in Australia. It was developed in response to the barriers people with disability experience to accessing community-based physical activity. Within FitSkills, people with disability are paired with university students who act as a peer mentor. Pairs exercise together at a community gym location twice a week for 12 weeks. FitSkills has been shown to improve physical and social health among people with disabilities.
FitSkills has not been delivered outside of Australia. The investigators are assessing how practical it is to deliver FitSkills in Ireland with the support of healthcare and physical activity professionals. The investigators want to understand the demand for this programme among young people with childhood-onset physical disability aged 13-24 years. In addition, the investigators want to learn if taking part in FitSkills influences exercise confidence and mental health and well-being among young people with childhood-onset physical disability.
Have a primary physical disability diagnosis, either congenital or acquired by age 15
Are aged between 13-24 years
Have not taken part in a regular gym programme in the previous 3 months (i.e. at least once a week for 3 months)
Can follow instructions in English
Have an acute or concurrent medical condition rendering them unfit to participate in moderate-level physical activity
If they had an impaired ability to take part safely in a gym environment due to significant behavioural challenges.
Single group
Gym based exercise
Other intervention12 week community gym exercise programme. Twice weekly gym sessions for 60 minutes. Peer support provided by a third level healthcare student from host university. Standardised exercise programme developed by gym staff with support from the investigators. Goals and preferences of participants considered in programme development. This is the only intervention and there is no additional intervention provided
Participant recruitment (Reach)
Participant recruitment (reach) will be assessed by the number of individuals who express interest in the study and the proportion who are eligible and enrolled. Additional descriptive data will be collected on recruitment, including the number of enquiries and completed expressions of interest, how participants heard about the study (e.g., healthcare professional referral, flyer, or other sources), eligibility outcomes (number eligible, number excluded, and reasons for exclusion), and basic demographic characteristics (age, gender, disability type, and location) of individuals expressing interest.
Adoption by healthcare and physical activity professionals
Adoption will be assessed by the number and proportion of healthcare and physical activity professionals who are invited and agree to support implementation of the intervention. Additional descriptive data will be collected on professional characteristics (e.g., profession, service type, public or private service, and service location) and reasons for non-participation (e.g., work capacity constraints or lack of interest).
Intervention Feasibility
Intervention feasibility will be assessed by the proportion of participant pairs who complete the programme at 12 weeks. Additional descriptive data will be collected, including the number of pairs successfully matched (young people and student mentors), the number attending the group orientation session, and participant engagement (e.g., use of the challenge board). Fidelity to programme content and adverse events will be monitored and recorded using exercise log-books.
Feasibility of the Intervention (Feasibility Intervention Measure)
Feasibility will be assessed using the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM), completed by healthcare and physical activity professionals following completion of their involvement in implementation. The FIM is a 4-item scale assessing perceived feasibility (e.g., whether the programme is possible, practical, and easy to implement), with responses rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree to completely agree.
Exercise self efficacy ( Exercise Self Efficacy Scale)
Exercise self-efficacy will be assessed using the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, completed by young people with childhood-onset physical disability. The scale consists of 10 items assessing confidence in engaging in physical activity, with responses rated on a 4-point Likert scale (not at all true, rarely true, sometimes true, always true). Total scores range from 10 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater exercise self-efficacy.
Mental health and well-being (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form)
Mental health and well-being will be assessed using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), completed by young people with childhood-onset physical disability. The MHC-SF assesses emotional, social, and psychological well-being using a 6-point Likert scale (1 = everyday to 6 = never). Scores can be interpreted using continuous total and domain scores, with higher scores indicating greater well-being. Participants may also be classified as flourishing, moderately mentally healthy, or languishing based on established scoring criteria.
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