The authors examined the health‐related literature on aging and intellectual disabilities (ID) published since 1999, with specific focus on examining findings on age‐associated health risk factors, such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal system health issues, and age‐related oral health. They also examined studies of lifestyle health risks, primarily the contributions to overweight or obesity. Although the review revealed varying differences in the prevalence of health risk factors, significant evidence is emerging that cardiovascular disease is as prevalent among people with ID and is as common a cause of death as in the general population. However, the review showed that the variations in prevalence were culturally dependent. Digestive system problems were evident with high occurrence rates of helicobacter pylori, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and constipation. The review revealed a growing body of work on health risk factors, such as overweight and obesity, which are often linked to the onset of a variety of diseases and impairing conditions. Healthier lifestyles, better nutrition and more exercise, and greater surveillance of health risks were seen as ways to improve the health status of aging adults with ID.

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BackgroundA large body of research shows that social isolation and loneliness have detrimental health consequences. Identifying individuals at risk of social isolation or loneliness is, therefore, important. The objective of this study was to examine personal (e.g., sex, income) and geographic (rural/urban and sociodemographic) factors and their association with social isolation and loneliness in a national sample of Canadians aged 45 to 85 years.MethodsThe study involved cross-sectional analyses of baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging that were linked to 2016 census data at the Forward Sortation Area (FSA) level. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between personal factors and geographic factors and social isolation and loneliness for the total sample, and women and men, respectively.ResultsThe prevalence of social isolation and loneliness was 5.1% and 10.2%, respectively, but varied substantially across personal characteristics. Personal characteristics (age, sex, education, income, functional impairment, chronic diseases) were significantly related to both social isolation and loneliness, although some differences emerged in the direction of the relationships for the two measures. Associations also differed somewhat for women versus men. Associations between some geographic factors emerged for social isolation, but not loneliness. Living in an urban core was related to increased odds of social isolation, an effect that was no longer significant when FSA-level factors were controlled for. FSAs with a higher percentage of 65+ year old residents with low income were consistently associated with higher odds of social isolation.ConclusionThe findings indicate that socially isolated individuals are, to some extent, clustered into areas with a high proportion of low-income older adults, suggesting that support and resources could be targeted at these areas. For loneliness, the focus may be less on where people live, but rather on personal characteristics that place individuals at risk.

Background: As life expectancy of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) extends into older

Background Multimorbidity can be defined as the presence of more than one chronic condition in an individual. Research on multimorbidity has predominantly focused on older adults and few studies have examined multimorbidity in middle-aged people. The objectives of this study were to: 1) examine the prevalence of multimorbidity among middle-aged Canadians; and 2) examine the association between lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity) and multimorbidity in this age group. Methods In this analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) baseline data, we extracted data from 29,841 participants aged 45–64 years from a database of 51,338 people aged 45–85 years. Self-reported data on 27 chronic physical health conditions were used to derive different multimorbidity definitions. We estimated the prevalence of 3+ to 5+ chronic physical health conditions in different subgroups for descriptive purposes. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, and multimorbidity using a 3+ multimorbidity case definition. Result We found that 39.6% (99% CI 38.4–40.7) of participants had three or more chronic conditions with a mean number of chronic condition of 2.41 (99% CI 2.37–2.46). The prevalence of multimorbidity increased with age from 29.7% in the 45–49-year-old age group to 52% in individuals aged 60–64 years. The prevalence of 4+ and 5+ chronic conditions was 24.5 and 14.2% respectively. Analyses indicated that female sex and low income were associated with higher odds of multimorbidity, whereas daily or weekly alcohol intake were associated with lower odds of multimorbidity. Exercise was not associated with multimorbidity. Results were similar when analyses were conducted separately for women and men. Conclusions Multimorbidity is not limited to older adults, but is a common phenomenon among middle-aged people. Longitudinal research is needed to better understand the temporal relationship between lifestyle factors and multimorbidity.

The objectives of this study were to explore age variations in predictors of positive and negative self-rated health and examine whether the determinants of positive and negative self-rated health are mirror images. Longitudinal data were used from the National Population Health Survey for a nationally representative cohort of Canadians aged 25 years and older (N = 9,371) to predict positive and negative self-rated health among younger and older Canadian adults separately. Self-rated health was confirmed as a multidimensional concept. There were variations in determinants of positive and negative self-rated health for the younger and the older Canadian adults. Determinants of self-rated health include but are not limited to physical health and functioning. Self-rated health is a dynamic evaluation influenced by

Background Although a large body of research has focused on social isolation and loneliness, few studies have examined social isolation and loneliness together. The objectives of this study were to examine: 1) the relationship between four groups derived from combining social isolation and loneliness (socially isolated and lonely; only socially isolated; only lonely; neither socially isolated nor lonely) and the desire for more social participation, and social support; and 2) the relationship between the four groups and psychological distress. Methods The study was based on the Comprehensive Cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Using CLSA baseline data (unweighted N = 30,079), ordinary and logistic regression analysis was used to examine the cross-sectional relationship between the four social isolation/loneliness groups and desire for more social participation and four types of social support (tangible, positive interaction, affection, and emotional support). Prospective logistic regression analysis was possible for psychological distress, which was derived from the Maintaining Contact Questionnaire administered about 18 months after the baseline questionnaire (unweighted N = 28,789). Results Findings indicate that being socially isolated and lonely was associated with the most social support gaps; this group also had an increased likelihood of psychological distress, relative to those who were neither socially isolated nor lonely. Participants who were only socially isolated, and those only lonely also perceived some social support gaps. In addition, the only lonely group was more likely to be psychologically distressed than the only socially isolated group and the neither isolated nor lonely group.

A wide range of health conditions among older adults are disproportionately clustered into the poorest areas. Programs and services should be designed to meet the needs of older adults of any age in such neighborhoods.