Project Description:
Persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience a different level of health than typically developing peers. This health differential is often described in terms of health disparities ? which refers to differences caused or facilitated by social or access issues. Down syndrome is the most frequent genetic condition associated with intellectual disability. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a slight increase in the prevalence of Down syndrome over the past decade. Down syndrome occurs in approximately 1 in 690 births. Because of associated congenital health issues, life expectancy of individuals with Down syndrome is generally lower than the general population. However, according to the CDC, people with Down syndrome in the United States live much longer now than 30 years ago. Current average life expectancy of individuals with Down syndrome is approximately 55 years of age, with many living well into their 60s and 70s. Adults with Down syndrome have significantly higher tendency of being overweight than the adults from the general population (Rubin, Rimmer, Chocoine, Braddock, & McGuire, 1998). Being overweight is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, including heart disease, Type II diabetes, and arthritis (Leon, Koupilova, Lithell, & McKeigue, 1996). Being overweight also exacerbates other health problems, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.
The overall goal of our project is to assess the health characteristics and access to healthcare services of adults with Down syndrome. We hope to achieve this goal by getting health information on 300 adults with Down syndrome. In addition to getting information on 300 adults with Down syndrome on our online health questionnaire, our second objective is to collect more specific and detailed health metrics on 75 adults with Down syndrome through a complete physical examination and family history.
