A comparison of the prevalence of chronic disease among persons with and without intellectual disability.

2013

Marc J. Tasse
[email protected]
614-685-3193

Some studies have reported the presence of health disparities in persons with intellectual disability. This study compared the prevalence of chronic health conditions between persons with and without intellectual disability (ID). Health-related data for 791 persons with ID were collected through a province-wide mail survey. The distribution of chronic health conditions reported was compared to the data on the health status of the general population. Persons with ID had higher reported rates of heart disease and thyroid disorder than the general population. We also found that persons with ID were less likely to report suffering from arthritis, migraines, back or spinal pain, and food allergies. Significant health differences were found when the ID sample was stratified by etiology (i.e., Down syndrome) and severity of intellectual deficits. We discuss these results and the need for future research to understand the differences found in the health status of persons with ID.

intellectual disability, Health, Down syndrome, Chronic disease, developmental disabilities

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press

Consumers/Families, Professionals, Policymakers, Students

Electronic (disc, CD, 508 compliant web posting)

http://aaiddjournals.org/

N/A