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Ageing and health status in adults with intellectual disabilities: results of the European Pomona II study
- Authors:
- HAVEMAN Meindert, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 36(1), March 2011, pp.49-60.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
POMONA II was a European Commission funded public health project collecting information from 14 countries using a set of key health indicators specifically relevant for people with intellectual disabilities. This research focused on age-specific differences relating to environmental and lifestyle factors and the 17 medical conditions measured by the POMONA Checklist of Health Indicators. The article describes how information was collected using the POMONA Health Interview Survey and Evaluation Form from a sample of 1,253 participants in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It then presents the results of the analysis, with tables showing characteristics of people with intellectual disabilities in the study, frequency of social contacts with relatives or friends according to age, lifestyle risk factors in people with intellectual disabilities according to age, and general and age-specific prevalence rates of health problems. The authors discuss how healthy older adults with intellectual disabilities are with regard to lifestyle factors, and whether there are health disparities between older adults with and without intellectual disabilities. They note that some evidence of health disparities was found for older people with intellectual disabilities, particularly in terms of under diagnosed or inadequately managed preventable health conditions.
The impact of living arrangements and deinstitutionalisation in the health status of persons with intellectual disability in Europe
- Authors:
- MARTINEZ-LEAL R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 55(9), September 2011, pp.858-872.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Despite progress in deinstitutionalisation, relatively little is known about the health of people with intellectual disability (PWID) who live in large institutions or those living in small residential services, family homes or independently in the community. Nor are there any international comparisons at the European level of the health status and health risks of PWID living in fully staffed residential services with formal support and care compared with those living in unstaffed family homes or independent houses without formal support. A total of 1269 persons with ID and/or their proxy respondents were interviewed in 14 EU countries using the P15 multinational assessment battery to collect data on health indicators relevant to PWID. Participants were grouped according to their living arrangements, formal support and stage of deinstitutionalisation. Obesity and sedentary lifestyle were prevalent along with illnesses such as epilepsy, mental disorders, allergies or constipation. There were more cases of myocardial infarction, chronic bronchitis, osteoporosis and gastric or duodenal ulcers among participants in countries at the early stage of deinstitutionalisation. There were important deficits in variables related health promotion such as screening and vaccination in family homes and independent living arrangements. The authors point to the important differences between different living arrangements depending on the level of formal support available and the stage of deinstitutionalisation.