Lifestyle related risk factors for poor health in residential settings forpeople with intellectual disabilities

Little information is available on the prevalence and determinants of lifes tyle related risk factors for poor health (obesity, poor diet, physical ina ctivity, smoking and alcohol abuse) among people with intellectual disabili ties. This study reports the prevalence of these risk factors for 500 peopl e with intellectual disabilities living in different forms of residential p rovision in the UK. Variables which predict the presence of these risk fact ors are also identified. While levels of smoking and alcohol abuse were low , the prevalence of poor diet, obesity in women and physical inactivity was high. Analyses of predictors of risk factors present a mixed pattern with regard to participant and service characteristics, with greater ability and less restrictive residential settings being associated with poor diet, smo king and obesity, but physical inactivity being associated with lower abili ty and mon restrictive settings. It is argued that increasing levels of mod erate or vigorous physical activity among people with intellectual disabili ties would be the single most effective way of improving the health of peop le with intellectual disabilities. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.