Body Weight Status Among Adults With Intellectual Disability in the Community

Abstract

The prevalence of obese, overweight, and healthy weight adults with intellectual disability in the community was estimated using data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1985 to 2000. Using the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure, the percentage of adults with intellectual disability in the obese category was higher than that for the general population and increased over the 16-year period. There was no similar detectable trend for adults with intellectual disability who were in the overweight category. Compared to their counterparts in the general population, a smaller proportion of women and young adults with intellectual disability maintained their weights in the healthy range. Implications regarding potential health risks and future research were discussed.

Screening for glucose intolerance and development of a lifestyle education programme for prevention of type 2 diabetes in a population with intellectual disabilities: the STOP Diabetes research project

“…We reviewed the full texts of 148 articles once seven articles from other sources had been added (Figure 3). The authors of seven studies [91][92][93][94][95][96][97] were contacted for information regarding their studies; five authors replied and two studies 94,95 were deemed suitable to be included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. We also included a study 93 by one of the authors who did not reply, after we had reread and discussed the article collectively in more depth.…”

Obesity and intellectual disability

“…Several studies conducted in the United States have reported a higher prevalence of obesity among persons with ID compared to non-ID citizens [e.g., Rubin et al, 1998;Harris et al, 2003;Rimmer and Wang, 2005;Yamaki, 2005]. In particular, women, older individuals, and those with less severe disabilities and certain genetic causes of obesity (i.e., Down syndrome) were more likely to be obese compared to their counterparts [Fox and Rotatori, 1982;Kelly et al, 1986;Rimmer et al, 1993;Rubin et al, 1998].…”

“…The researchers reported that the rate was significantly higher for the U.S. participants compared to participants from other countries. Yamaki [2005] estimated obesity prevalence among adults with ID by analyzing U.S. population-level household survey data. This data set was more likely to include a broader representation of people with ID who were supported by family members in the community but were not necessarily part of the ID service system [Fujiura, 1998;Yamaki and Fujiura, 2002].…”

“…1, statistically weighted national level estimates indicated that the prevalence of obesity (BMI Ն 30) among persons with ID was significantly higher than the general population at each of four 4-year observation periods and has been increasing steadily over this period. Yamaki [2005] concluded that many adults with ID were at risk for developing chronic health conditions secondary to their primary impairment. Rimmer and Wang [2005] measured the height and weight of 306 adults with disabilities from the Chicago area, which included a subset of adults with ID.…”

“…Population-level prevalence data indicate that the obesity levels of adults with ID are either similar to or higher than their non-ID counterparts [Emerson, 2005;Yamaki, 2005]. Lack of healthy eating habits and regular physical activity, common factors associated with obesity in the general population [U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2001], are also growing problems among persons with ID [Draheim et al, 2002;Braunschweig et al, 2004;Emerson, 2005].…”