142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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309614
Comparing the Health Profile of Older Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to the General Population

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 12:50 PM - 1:10 PM

Kelly Hsieh, PhD , Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
James Rimmer, PhD , School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Sumithra Murthy, MBBS, MPH , Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may age differently based on the nature and severity of their disability and other co-existing disorders.  This study compared the health profile (e.g., health status and preventive health care use, health behaviors) between older adults (aged 50 years and older) with IDD and the general population.

Methods: We analyzed a subset (N=373) of baseline data of the Longitudinal Health and Intellectual Disability Study (LHIDS) and compared to the general population norms using BRFSS 2009 and 2010 data.

Results: Participants were primarily White (94%) and evenly split with respect to gender (49% male; 51% female). Comparisons were made between two age groups (50-59, 60 & older). In comparison with the general population, older adults with IDD reported a higher prevalence rate of obesity, heart conditions, anxiety disorders, and falls across the two age groups, but a higher rate of depression was only noted among adults aged 60 years and older. Compared to the general population, older adults with IDD reported a lower rate of arthritis, stroke, diabetes, asthma, and cancer. Disparities of breast and cervical cancer screening were also noted. Compared to the general population, older adults with IDD were less likely to meet the recommended amount of physical activity and fruits and vegetables consumption. 

Conclusions: The findings suggest that older adults with IDD can improve their health through health promotion intervention that focuses on promoting positive health behaviors. Health education and access to cancer screening especially for women with IDD are needed.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
Compare the health profile of older adults with IDD to the general population. Describe health disparities of older adults with IDD in comparison with the general population. Discuss implications of the findings and ways to close the gap of health disparities.

Keyword(s): Health Disparities/Inequities, Aging

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been in the disability research field over 20 years. I have been the principal investigator of this longitudinal study since 2012 and as a co-Principal for over two years before the principal left the university. I was awarded another five-year research grant (2013-1018) that allows me to continue to follow up the study cohort and to expend the study by recruiting a new cohort from unrepresentative groups.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4219.0: Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities Through The Lifespan