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Physical Health of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities pp 27–52Cite as

Overview of the Important Physical Health Concerns

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Abstract

People with intellectual disability present with higher levels of chronic conditions and multi-morbidity, greater complex health needs and earlier mortality as compared to their peers without identified life-long disabilities. The growing and international evidence addressed here confirms that obesity, poor cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, falls and fractures, gastrointestinal conditions, sensory impairment, oral health compromises, increased dementia prevalence and polypharmacy concerns are further compromising that health. That supporting the health of persons with intellectual disability is not universally part of the core training of healthcare professionals is a further concern. Attention to such education will result in greater awareness and knowledge will be key to improving the health and well-being of people with intellectual disability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing and Midwifery and Trinity Centre of Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Éilish Burke

  2. School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Márie O’Dwyer

  3. Global Brain Health Institute and Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Eimear McGlinchey

  4. Health Sciences Nursing and Health Care, School of Nursing and Health Care, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland

    Sinéad Foran

  5. Special Care Dentistry, School of Dental Science, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Caoimhin MacGiolla Phadraig

  6. School of Nursing and Midwifery, and The Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Rachael Carroll

  7. School of Social Work, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Philip McCallion

  8. Faculty of Health Sciences and The Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Mary McCarron

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  8. Mary McCarron
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Correspondence to Éilish Burke .

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  1. The Greenfields, Birmingham, UK

    Vee P. Prasher

  2. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Matthew P. Janicki

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Burke, É. et al. (2019). Overview of the Important Physical Health Concerns. In: Prasher, V., Janicki, M. (eds) Physical Health of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90083-4_3

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