The Impact of State COVID-19 Responses on People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity
• Disability Studies

Background:

• The COVID-19 public health response may have worsened existing inequities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
• People with IDD faced higher risks for severe COVID-19 outcomes but were often deprioritized in public health strategies.
• Understanding the factors influencing COVID-19 risk in the IDD population is crucial for equitable emergency preparedness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the combined impact of individual characteristics and state-level policies on COVID-19 contraction risk among people with IDD.
• To identify specific community interaction patterns and environmental factors associated with increased COVID-19 risk for individuals with IDD.

Main Methods:

• Employed multilevel modeling to analyze the interplay between individual-level variables and state policies.
• Examined data on COVID-19 contraction rates in relation to demographic, social, and policy factors for people with IDD.

Main Results:

• Findings indicate that community engagement and residential settings significantly influenced the likelihood of people with IDD contracting COVID-19.
• Individual differences alone did not fully explain the disparities in COVID-19 risk; contextual factors played a substantial role.

Conclusions:

• The study underscores the need to consider the social and environmental contexts of people with IDD during public health crises.
• Recommendations include prioritizing IDD populations in future emergency responses and developing tailored public health interventions that account for community-level risks.