Certified personal trainers' beliefs about providing personal training for adults with intellectual disability in a community fitness facility

Background: Numerous barriers limit the participation of adults with intellectual disability (ID) in community fitness facilities (CFFs). Lack of disability-related certification requirements for personal trainers (PTs) highlights the need to revise certification standards and develop training modules that prepare PTs to provide individualized training for individuals with ID. Therefore, insight from PTs is needed.

Objective: The Reasoned Action Approach was used to explore PTs' salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs about providing personal training for a hypothetical adult with ID in a CFF.

Methods: A convenience sample of 32 certified PTs (a 37% response rate) currently employed at three YMCAs in the United States completed two online questionnaires, both assessed for content validity. Data were analyzed using directed content analysis.

Results: Of the 334 total responses, 45% reflected behavioral, 17% normative, and 38% control beliefs. The overarching behavioral theme was that this experience would help PTs provide more individualized training for their clients. The frequently reported approving referents were "employer," "family," and "everyone around me." Two disapproving referents were elicited. Participants reported 12 facilitating (e.g., availability of adapted equipment/tools) and 11 inhibiting (e.g., lack of time, training, private space) factors of providing personal training for adults with ID in a CFF.

Conclusions: While PTs generally reported positive advantages and social influence of providing personal training for adults with ID, they were also aware of many factors that probably would inhibit their training of adults with ID in CFFs. The elicited beliefs have value when designing professional development curricula for PTs.