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Obesity in adults with Down syndrome: a case-control study
C A Melville1, S-A Cooper, C W McGrother
1Section of Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow, Academic Centre, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow 0XH, UK.
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR
|January 7, 2005
Summary
Obesity is more common in women with Down syndrome compared to matched individuals, but not in men. Further research is needed to understand the health impacts of obesity in people with Down syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Public health
- Genetics
Background:
- Obesity negatively impacts health and mortality.
- Higher obesity rates are reported in individuals with Down syndrome compared to others with intellectual disabilities (ID).
- Previous studies have yielded contradictory findings and lacked matched comparison groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate obesity prevalence in adults with Down syndrome using a matched comparison group methodology.
- To compare Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight categories between individuals with Down syndrome and those with other intellectual disabilities.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Leicestershire was identified.
- Participants underwent medical examinations, including height and weight measurements to calculate BMI.
- Individuals with Down syndrome were matched with controls based on gender, age, and accommodation type.
Main Results:
- Data from 247 matched pairs were analyzed.
- Women with Down syndrome had lower mean height and weight but higher mean BMI than matched controls.
- Women with Down syndrome were more likely to be overweight or obese (OR = 2.17), while men showed increased overweight prevalence but not obesity (OR = 0.85).
Conclusions:
- Women with Down syndrome exhibit a greater prevalence of obesity compared to matched individuals without Down syndrome.
- Obesity prevalence did not differ significantly between men with Down syndrome and their matched counterparts.
- The health implications of overweight and obesity in people with Down syndrome require further investigation.