People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Face Higher Diabetes Mortality Rates

Strategic Insights -

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are disproportionately affected by diabetes, with an estimated 16.2% of disabled Americans diagnosed with the disease, compared to 11.6% of the general population. Diagnosed diabetes cases in people with IDD are often complicated by sensory sensitivities, communication barriers, and the need for consistent, trained supporters. Advancements in patient monitoring and individualized care plans provide improvements in overall health and quality of life.

Key Takeaways:

  • People with IDD face significantly higher mortality rates due to diabetes, with an estimated 1 in 6 disabled Americans diagnosed with the disease.
  • IntellectAbility developed the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) to aid healthcare providers in identifying early warning signs and developing individualized care plans.
  • The HRST helps prevent hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and life-threatening complications by identifying subtle health changes early and guiding proactive interventions.
  • People with IDD often face compounded barriers to maintaining adequate physical activity, including motor coordination challenges, co-occurring medical conditions, limited access to adaptive programs, and insufficient supports.
  • Poor dietary choices and lack of proper nutrition can contribute to statistically higher instances of diabetes in people with IDD.
  • Income and access to healthcare play a significant role in the ability to properly manage and treat diabetes.
  • In people with IDD, early detection of health instability is essential, and signs can include sudden behavior or mood changes, increased thirst or urination, unexplained fatigue or weakness, unsteady gait or increased falls, and slow-healing wounds or skin changes.
  • IntellectAbility's HRST is a vital tool in improving health outcomes for people with IDD by identifying subtle health changes early, guiding proactive interventions, and helping prevent hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and life-threatening complications.
  • Dr. Craig Escudé emphasizes the need for targeted interventions and support by stating that people with IDD often face compounded barriers to maintaining adequate physical activity and that blood glucose monitoring can be complicated by sensory sensitivities, communication barriers, and the need for consistent, trained supporters.

Statistics:

  • 16.2% of disabled Americans have diabetes, compared to 11.6% of the general population.
  • 1 in 6 disabled Americans is diagnosed with diabetes.
  • There are 38.4 million people with diabetes in the U.S., or 11.6% of Americans.
  • Adults living with diabetes surpassed 800 million worldwide, more than quadrupling since 1990.
  • People with IDD often rely on familiar routines, including food, which can be rejected if it is not a particular texture, flavor, or color, or is not what they are used to eating.
  • Developmental disabilities can create limitations in what food can be eaten and how it is consumed.
  • Lower socioeconomic status has been found to lead to diets that consist mainly of processed foods, which are traditionally high in sugar and lack the vital nutrients required to maintain a well-balanced diet and reduce excess weight.

Sources:

  • IntellectAbility
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)