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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Gwyn C. Jones, PhD, MSW, MEd, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop E88, Atlanta, GA 30333, (404) 498-4493, gbj4@cdc.gov

Objective: To examine trends in health risks among adults with disabilities to identify needs for health promotion interventions

Methods: We analyzed 8 years of data from the 1997-2004 NHIS to examine several health risks among adults with and without disabilities, including smoking and obesity. We identified significant differences in health risk patterns that should be vigorously addressed with disability-friendly health promotion strategies.

Results: Preliminary findings indicated that smoking rates have steadily declined for adults with disabilities (Rate of decline for PWD = 2.9%; rate of declined for non-PWD = 3.1%). The risk of smoking increased for PWD in the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for demographic factors (AOR = 1.473 in 1997; AOR = 1.594 in 2004). Obesity rates rose for both groups from 1997-2004, but the rate of increase among adults with disabilities was more than twice the rate of increase for non-disabled adults (Increase for PWD = 7.3%; increase for non-PWD = 3.6%). Multivariate findings showed that adults with disabilities had more than twice the risk for obesity, compared with non-disabled adults (AOR = 2.333 for 1997, AOR = 2.526 for 2004).

Conclusions: Adults with disabilities have significantly higher risks for smoking and obesity than non-disabled adults, and obesity rates continue to escalate for both groups.

Implications: Smoking cessation and weight management for adults with disabilities should be vigorously addressed in the public health and health education arenas. Failure to enact timely interventions may result in diminished health status and increased rates of preventable secondary conditions in this population.

Learning Objectives:

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• Recognize trends in health risks for adults with disabilities (
• Identify risk behaviors needing disability-friendly interventions among adults with disabilities

Keywords: Disability, Health Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation