PREDICTORS OF BMI AMONG ADULTS WITH DOWN-SYNDROME - THE SOCIAL-CONTEXT OF HEALTH PROMOTION

The study explored the relationship of diet, exercise, disability stat us, and degree of social integration to Body Mass Index, an indicator of excess weight and health status. Subjects were adults with Down syn drome living at home with their families. Variables included a 110-ite m nutritional analysis and assessments of family demographics, severit y of disability, and ''lifestyle'' variables, such as friendship and a ffiliation, access to recreation and social activity, and level of phy sical activity. A factor analysis reduced lifestyle variables into thr ee distinct factors representing friendship, social opportunity, and p hysical competency. Factor scores were entered into a hierarchical reg ression model that compared the variance predicted by these factors to the variance accounted for by diet, exercise, and health and physical status variables. Although the overall regression was not statistical ly significant, the final block pf predictors, which represented frien dship and social opportunity effects, accounted for a significant incr ement in BMI variance. Thus, even after the effects of diet, exercise, and physical status variables were partitioned out, the lifestyle var iables remained potent predictors of BMI. Study conclusions are descri bed in the context of current paradigms of health in the field of ment al retardation and their relationship to inclusion in the community. ( C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.