Asthma, smoking and BMI in adults with intellectual disabilities: a community-based survey.
Adults with ID plus asthma smoke and carry extra weight at alarmingly high rates, so pair every asthma check with brief smoking and BMI intervention.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers asked 1,097 adults with intellectual disability living in the community about asthma, smoking, and weight. They wanted to see how many had asthma and how smoking and obesity stacked up in that group.
The survey was done in 2009 across a whole region, not just clinics or hospitals.
What they found
About 12 % of the adults had asthma. Among those 132 people, 30 % smoked and 43 % were obese. Both rates were higher than in the ID adults without asthma.
The numbers flag two clear behavioral targets: cigarettes and weight.
How this fits with other research
Hawley et al. (2004) saw only 6 % smoking in day-centre users with ID. The new 30 % rate looks like a clash, but the earlier sample was mostly non-asthmatic clients in sheltered settings. Different places, different risks.
Aznar et al. (2005) found 53 % smoking in hospital inpatients who had both ID and mental illness. Their higher rate fits a pattern: more health problems, more cigarettes.
Shearn et al. (1997) ran a small class that helped over half of adults with mild ID quit or cut down. Their pilot shows these clients can change when teaching is simple and direct.
Jin et al. (2020) link extra weight to poorer self-rated health in ID adults. The asthma group’s 43 % obesity now looks even more urgent.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with ID, screen every asthma client for smoking and weight. Use short visual quit packs like Shearn et al. (1997) and add exercise prompts. Two quick metrics—cigarettes per day and BMI—can guide you to the highest-impact health plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent research evidence from the general population has shown that tobacco smoking and raised body mass index (BMI) are associated with worse asthma outcomes. There are indications that asthma morbidity and mortality may be higher among people with intellectual disabilities (ID) than the general population, but the reason for this is not known. This is the first study to investigate the extent of smoking and higher than recommended BMI among adults with ID and a diagnosis of asthma. METHOD: Health-related data for 1097 adults with ID were collected from 28 primary care practices in Bristol, UK. RESULTS: Prevalence of asthma in this sample of adults with ID was 12% which was much higher than among the general population living in the region. The 132 patients with asthma were found to be nearly twice as likely to be current smokers as patients with ID who did not have asthma (29.5% vs. 15.6%). Smoking rates were higher among men than women with asthma (35.7% vs. 22.6%). Patients diagnosed with asthma were also more likely to be obese (BMI >or= 30) than patients with ID but no asthma (42.7% vs. 31.6%). Obesity was particularly a problem among women with asthma as more than half (52.1%) had a BMI >or= 30. CONCLUSIONS: A very high proportion of patients with ID and asthma were found to be current smokers and/or obese. There is now strong research evidence that both smoking and obesity are implicated in the development of asthma and associated with worse disease outcomes. This study highlights the urgent need for programmes aimed at providing support for people with ID and asthma to stop smoking and to achieve a healthy body weight.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2009 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2009.01192.x