Health Promotion Program On Reduction Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

Disease prevention for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) has been recognized as an under researched area. Health promotion programs integrating structured and multiple approaches to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors for persons with ID are imperative and greatly needed. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 12-week theoretical-based health promotion program in reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors for older adults with ID. METHODS: A total of 33 older adults with ID (Age in yr.: M = 39.18, SD = 9.49, Range = 30 to 70; Gender, Males = 33.3%, Females = 66.7%) was recruited to participate in a 12-week health promotion program (3 day per week and 90 minutes per day) at a local educational and vocational center in Taiwan. The 12-week health promotion program included health education and exercise components using Transtheoretical Model (TTM) as a framework. The direct caregivers of participants with ID were closely involved throughout the intervention program. Pre- and post-measures include weight, height, waist circumference, resting blood pressure, skinfolds, as well as fasting plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, and glucose. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for repeated measures was computed to examine statistically significant differences between pre and post measures. RESULTS: The findings of the repeated MANOVA revealed significant differences in the outcome measures (Pillai's Trace =.681, F(5,23) =7.844, p=.000). The univariate tests indicated that weight, waist circumferences, as well as fasting plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, and glucose levels were significantly decreased after the intervention program. CONCLUSIONS: The reductions of CVD risk factors as results of the health promotion program are concluded. The impacts of specific intervention components (i.e., health education and exercise) contributing to the changes in diet and physical activity patterns that indirectly influence the reduction of CVD risk factors were not further examined in this study. Longitudinal research examining changes in health and CVD risk factors as a result of behavioral changes (i.e., diet and physical activity behavior changes) following a TTM approach intervention is needed.