Background: Demand for formal social services support for adults with intellectual disabilities is increasing internationally. Initiatives which empower individuals with intellectual disabilities to improve their health, develop living skills or manage chronic illnesses may promote independence and reduce unnecessary dependency on social services.…

Background: High rates of health needs among adults with intellectual disabilities flag the need for information about the economic consequences of strategies to identify and address unmet needs. Health-check interventions are one such strategy, and have been demonstrated to effect health gains over the following 12-month period. However, little…

A focus group study was conducted with individuals with developmental disabilities to understand their perspectives on their health status, health promotion behaviors, and health care services they receive. The majority of participants reported good to excellent health, and all had some form of medical insurance. However, participants reported…

Background: People with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have a higher level of health needs, a higher level of which is unmet, compared with the general population. Health screening can detect unmet health needs, but it is unknown whether it effects beneficial health outcomes in the longer term. People with IDs are reliant on health management by…

This literature review describes the physical activity behavior of adults with mental retardation consistent with the U.S. Surgeon General's recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days per week. The proportion of participants achieving this criterion ranges from 17.5 to 33%. These data are likely to be…

While much of the industrialized world struggles for clues to the growing rise in obesity in their respective countries, researchers and service providers involved in understanding the health characteristics and health behaviors of persons with intellectual disability (ID) struggle with their own issues regarding the increased prevalence of…

This paper describes a method for designing, implementing, and evaluating a work-site physical activity campaign aimed at employees who are currently sedentary in their leisure time. Inactivity is a major but modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease. Increasing the activity levels of underactive adults would have a positive impact on…

An examination of the health status of blacks in each phase of the life cycle in New York State indicates a significant discrepancy between the health status of black and white New Yorkers, and a clear link between poverty and poor health. The following life stages were examined and key health issues were identified: (1) prenatal/newborn; (2)…

Elderly Mexican Americans (n=25) participated in ethnographic interviews about folk healing and its influence on health care behaviors. Participants relied on modern medicine to treat serious injuries but still considered folk healing a viable alternative when modern health care was unsatisfactory or ineffective. (JBJ)

The need to promote healthy active ageing in order to offset the impact of an ageing population on national resources and ensure a high quality of life in older age is well recognized. In 2001, the English Department of Health established a national pre-retirement health initiative involving the development of eight pilot projects. A national…

This guide is aimed at improving health services for people with developmental disabilities by educating people presently training as health practitioners and persons working in community service programs. It contains information on health care needs of people with developmental disabilities and recommendations for health care practices adapted…