Public Health Approaches to Promote Health Equity for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A...

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience persistent health disparities due to systemic barriers in healthcare access, limited provider training, and exclusion from public health research and interventions.

To identify and synthesize public health strategies, interventions, and/or policies that effectively promote health equity among individuals with IDD.

This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and included 33 peer-reviewed studies, qualitative, quantitative, and mixedmethods, published in English. Eligible studies focused on public health approaches to enhancing healthcare access and health outcomes for individuals with IDD. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), while the quality and strength of evidence were further evaluated using the GRADE approach. Data synthesis was conducted through thematic analysis.

Six key themes emerged: (i) training for healthcare providers, (ii) early intervention and preventive care, (iii) healthy lifestyle promotion, (iv) accessible and inclusive healthcare, (v) research and data collection, and (vi) care coordination. Each approach contributed to improved health outcomes and reduced disparities in healthcare access and quality for individuals with IDD.

Promoting health equity for individuals with IDD requires coordinated, system-level public health strategies. Interventions must be inclusive, scalable, and responsive to the complex needs of this population. Greater investment in training, research, data collection, and inclusive policy design is crucial for achieving sustainable equity.