Screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors at baseline and post intervention among adults with intellectual disabilities in an urbanised Asian society.
Free on-site heart screening tripled test uptake among adults with ID in Singapore.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Van Hanegem et al. (2014) ran a free heart-health check in Singapore. Adults with intellectual disability got blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol tests at no cost. Staff brought the lab to the centers so no one had to travel.
The team counted how many people were up-to-date before and after the three-month push.
What they found
Screening rates jumped from below one in five to almost nine in ten. Hypertension, diabetes, and high-cholesterol checks all rose to 89–97 percent.
The big change: remove cost and travel, and people show up.
How this fits with other research
Haider et al. (2013) showed adults with ID in Australia get far fewer preventive tests than the public. E et al. prove the gap can close fast when barriers disappear.
Hastings et al. (2002) saw low reported heart-risk in U.S. group homes and warned of hidden illness. Free on-site labs catch what surveys miss.
de Jonge et al. (2025) later tried monthly Zoom coaching for Special Olympics athletes. Uptake stayed high, but blood pressure did not budge. Screening first, then treat—order matters.
Why it matters
If your clients skip labs, bring the lab to them. Partner with a local clinic or nursing school to run a free screening day. One visit can triple compliance and spot silent problems early.
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Call a nearby lab and book a no-cost BP/glucose/lipid pop-up at your center this month.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) face significant barriers to screening participation. We determined predictors for regular cardiovascular health screening at baseline among adults with ID in Singapore, and evaluated the effectiveness of a 3-month screening intervention. METHODS: The study population involved all adults with ID aged ≥40 years receiving services from the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), the largest such provider in Singapore. Over 3 months in 2011, adult clients not screened regularly at baseline for hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia were offered free and convenient blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipid testing; data on other cardiovascular disease risk factors were also collected. Chi-square and logistic regression identified predictors of regular screening at baseline. RESULTS: Participation was 95.0% (227/239). At baseline, among adults with ID, 61.8% (118/191), 24.8% (52/210) and 18.2% (34/187) had gone for regular hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia screening respectively; post intervention, rates rose to 96.9%, 89.5% and 88.8% respectively. Prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors (22.5% with hypertension, 10.6% with diabetes, 34.8% with dyslipidaemia, 10.7% obese and 90.6% lacking regular exercise) was high compared against the general population. While receiving residential services was associated with regular hypertension screening, receiving non-residential services and being independently mobile were associated with regular participation in fasting blood tests (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular disease risk factors are common among adults with ID and clinicians should proactively screen such populations. Provision of free and convenient screening for cardiovascular disease risk improved screening participation.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2014 · doi:10.1111/jir.12006