Overweight/obesity and chronic health conditions in older people with intellectual disability in Ireland.
Most older Irish adults with ID are overweight and carry linked chronic disease—routine BMI screening plus community fitness programs can help.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers weighed and interviewed 572 Irish adults with intellectual disability who were 40 or older. They asked where each person lived, what medicines they took, and which long-term health problems a doctor had already found.
The team wanted to see how many people carried extra weight and what illnesses showed up alongside it.
What they found
Seven out of ten adults were overweight or obese. The highest rates appeared in people with mild ID who lived on their own or with family.
Extra weight often came with heart disease, diabetes, and painful joints.
How this fits with other research
Yuan et al. (2021) looked at Chinese students with ID and saw lower, but still high, numbers: about one-third were overweight or obese. The Irish study extends that picture into older age, showing the problem keeps growing.
de Leeuw et al. (2024) used U.S. Medicaid records and found heart disease in up to three-quarters of adults with ID. Their 2024 data echo the Irish illness list, strengthening the signal that obesity and chronic disease travel together across countries.
Heller et al. (2011) reviewed small exercise-and-nutrition programs that helped adults with ID lose weight and feel better. Their review gives a ready tool-kit that lines up with the Irish call for action.
At first glance the Irish rate feels much worse than the French survey by Bégarie et al. (2013). Look closer: the French study covered special-ed students who get structured days, while the Irish sample included many adults living independently with easier access to snack foods and fewer activity supports. The gap is about setting, not contradiction.
Why it matters
If you support adults with ID, add a scale and a blood-pressure cuff to every visit. A five-minute BMI check spots risk early and justifies referrals to dietitians, walking clubs, or Special Olympics teams. Small drops in weight can prevent big health bills later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: This study examines overweight/obesity and chronic health conditions (CHCs) in older people with intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional observational study emanated from Wave 2 of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a longitudinal study assessing the health and well-being of older Irish adults with ID aged ≥40 years across all levels of ID. Participation involves an interview process and collation of objective health measures. In this study, body mass index (BMI) (n = 572), used as a measure of weight status, was examined with clustered doctor's diagnosed CHCs. Descriptive analysis was conducted where counts (n) and proportions (%) were used to summarise the variables univariately, while cross-tabulations were used for bivariate summary into counts and proportions. With overweight/obesity prevalence established and patterns described using logistical regression, Pearson's chi-squared test was used to test for significant associations. RESULTS: Overweight/obesity identified in 69% of participants occurred with greater frequency in women (72%). A higher percentage of participants aged <50 years (72.5%) were overweight/obese than those aged 50-64 (70%) and 65+ (61.4%). Level of ID and residence type were significantly associated with weight status (P < 0.001), with overweight/obesity more prevalent in mild (85.7%) than moderate (72%) or severe/profound ID (51.4%). Of those who lived independently/with family, 78.4% were overweight/obese, as were 74% living in a community group home (P < 0.001). Almost all overweight/obese participants' waist measurements were in the substantially increased risk of metabolic disease waist measurement category (92%, P < 0.001). Logistical regression used to model CHCs on BMI showed significant association between BMI and gastrointestinal tract [odds ratio (OR) = 0.57, P < 0.008, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.37; 0.86)], respiratory condition [OR = 8.95, P < 0.004, 95% CI = (2.57; 56.72)] and musculoskeletal disorders [OR = 0.40, P < 0.001, 95% CI = (0.25; 0.63)]. CONCLUSIONS: The findings illustrate the strong cross-sectional association between overweight/obesity and CHCs. These findings suggest a need to prioritise weight status as a health risk to people with ID as they age.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2021 · doi:10.1111/jir.12900