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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Susan M. Havercamp, PhD, Center for Development and Learning, University of North Carolina, CB#7255, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (919) 966-6312, susan.havercamp@cdl.unc.edu, Donna Scandlin, MEd, North Carolina Office on Disability and Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 8185, Chapel Hill, NC 27705-8185, and Marcia Roth, MPH, North Carolina Office on Disability and Health, 1928 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699.
Research on the access and quality of physical, mental, and dental health care demonstrates that individuals with mental retardation receive little medical care, compared with the general population (Dupont & Mortenson, 1990; Howells, 1986; Kastner, Walsh, & Criscione, 1994; Wilson & Haire, 1990;). The health needs of individuals with developmental disabilities were largely overlooked until recently. An effort is now underway to improve the health and healthcare of this underserved population. An entire section of Healthy People 2010 focused on disability and health. In February 2002, the Surgeon General released an official report entitled Health Disparities and Mental Retardation. The North Carolina Office on Disability and Health (NCODH) contributed to the development of a brief questionnaire to gather state-level surveillance data on the health conditions, risk factors, and access to healthcare of adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Items for the Health Indicators were adapted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Since 1998, the NCODH along with 14 other states have inserted a “disability module” into the BRFSS. Unfortunately, health of adults with developmental disabilities is not captured by the BRFSS because, for the most part, these adults do not have the opportunity to respond to telephone surveys. Findings are reported from two consecutive years of surveillance (2000-2001 and 2001-2002). Data are based on a minimum of 500 randomly selected adults with developmental disabilities each year. Results are contrasted with BRFSS data and with the BRFSS Disability Module.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Surveillance, Underserved Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.