NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

5-18-2023

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation - Restricted (NYMC/Touro only) Access

Degree Name

Doctor of Public Health

Department

Public Health

First Advisor

Professor Adam Block

Second Advisor

Professor Patricia Patrick

Third Advisor

Professor Kenneth Knapp

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Adults with intellectual and or developmental disabilities (I/DD) are more likely to die earlier than people without disabilities, respresenting a health disparity. Many of these early deaths are preventable. It has been identified that adults with both mental disorders and I/DD face additional health challenges in comparison to adults without this comorbidity that may make them even more vulnerable. Despite this disparity, there has been limited study in the United States within the primary care setting of sub-populations with I/DD with chronic diseases.

Objective: To explore if there were any differences in the prevalence of select chronic diseases among sub-populations with I/DD utilizing primary care services and determine if those differences held after adjustment for hypothesized covariates.

Methods: A cross-sectional study utilizing data from primary care visits from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, was conducted. Variables found in the literature to be associated with the dependent variables of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension were included as covariates. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression were performed.

Results: Adults with comorbid I/DD and mental disorders utilizing primary care services had a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes than adults with IDD alone (20.3% vs. 12.8%). This finding was furthered by regression analyses that determined that adults with I/DD and mental disoders had a higher odds of having diagnosed of type 2 diabetes than adults with I/DD alone (AOR 1.6 ).

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Available for download on Tuesday, May 18, 2027

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