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Qualitative study of malnutrition in people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- FRANSSEN Janine J. L., MAASKANT Marian A., SCHROJENSTEIN Henny M. J. van
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 8(4), December 2011, pp.239-246.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
People with intellectual disabilities (ID) are vulnerable to underweight status, often because of co-occurring eating disorders. However, it is unclear whether this results in malnutrition. This qualitative study investigated the awareness and knowledge of three physicians, three dieticians, and three direct care staff regarding malnutrition in people with ID from six different service providers in the Netherlands. Semi-structured interviews were held to explore participants’ experiences with problems and possible solutions. Findings revealed that the dieticians and physicians saw malnutrition prevalent in persons with ID that their clients, but they were uncertain about why this was the case. However, the direct care staff were certain that malnutrition was not present. The authors suggested screening of high-risk persons for the presence of malnutrition, and recommended education of direct care staff about healthy nutrition and weight. In ending, the authors called for the development of a screening instrument for malnutrition specifically for people with ID.