Use of health and dental care services in adults with intellectual disability in relation to age and intellectual disability levels

ABSTRACT

Background

This study investigates the use of health and dental care services in adults with intellectual disability in the last 12 months according to Norwegian recommendations and in relation to age and intellectual disability levels.

Method

A cross-sectional community-based survey including 214 participants (56% men). POMONA health indicators were used for data collection.

Results

Health checks and contact with general practitioners in the last year increased with age but were less frequent in those with more severe intellectual disability. Hospital admissions were age independent. Less than one-fifth of women had undergone cancer screening, with small variations according to intellectual disability severity levels. Few had an individual plan. More than one-third experienced poor dental health despite frequent controls.

Conclusions

The use of health checks was lower than recommended, especially in individuals with more severe intellectual disability. Service access and individual plan use need to be enhanced, and dental care services should be improved.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03889002

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual disability
• healthcare services
• individual plan
• dental care services

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the participants with intellectual disability, their families, and the services involved. We are grateful to Wenche Gamst, Brita Lena Hansen, Christian Sørensen, and Berit Johanne Kufaas at the UNN, Anna Hjulstad at St. Olavs Hospital, and Renate Salangli and Marit Strand from the municipality of Balsfjord for assistance with data collection. We also thank Anita Tymi of the Norwegian Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NFU) for her contribution.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The initial parts of this project were funded by the Research Centre for Habilitation Model and Services (CHARM), University of Oslo, while the main funding was received from Norwegian Dam Foundation.