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Chronic diseases and comorbidities in adults with and without intellectual disabilities: comparative cross-sectional

Milou van den Bemd1, Bianca W M Schalk1, Erik W M A Bischoff1

  • 1Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Family Practice
|May 17, 2022
PubMed

Insights

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience chronic diseases and multiple comorbidities earlier and more frequently than the general population. These findings highlight the complex health needs of individuals with ID in primary care settings.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Intellectual Disabilities Research

Background:

  • Chronic disease and comorbidity patterns are more complex in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared to the general population.
  • A lack of understanding of these differences hinders effective care for people with ID.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the prevalence of chronic diseases and comorbidities in chronically ill patients with and without ID within Dutch general practice.
  • To identify specific chronic disease and comorbidity patterns associated with ID.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based study utilizing a multi-regional primary care database from 2018, combined with national population data for enhanced ID identification.
  • Prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Poisson regression for key chronic diseases (ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and comorbidities.
  • Data included 18,114 individuals with ID and 1,093,995 individuals without ID.

Main Results:

  • Cerebrovascular disease (PR=1.1), diabetes mellitus (PR=1.6), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PR=1.5) were more prevalent in individuals with ID, even after adjusting for age and sex.
  • Individuals with ID were more likely to have chronic diseases and multiple comorbidities at younger ages.
  • Circulatory comorbidities were the most common among individuals with ID.

Conclusions:

  • People with ID experience a younger onset of chronic illness and a higher prevalence of multiple comorbidities in general practice compared to those without ID.
  • These findings underscore the complex health profiles of individuals with ID and chronic conditions.
  • Healthcare providers should consider age-related differences when applying chronic disease guidelines to individuals with ID.
Abstract

Keywords:
chronic diseasecomorbiditygeneral practiceintellectual disabilitypopulation healthprevalence

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