Introduction: Individuals with intellectual disability have a high prevalence of obesity and low physical activity levels, which are risk factors for hypertension. This study estimated the prevalence of hypertension in a global data set of adults with intellectual disability participating in Special Olympics and investigated the role of physical activity and obesity in hypertension risk.Methods: A total of 33,122 individuals aged ≥18 years with intellectual disability who participated in Special Olympic events from 2014 to 2018 had their brachial blood pressure, BMI, and selfreported physical activity assessed. Hypertension was classified using 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines (systolic blood pressure≥130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure≥80 mmHg). Data were analyzed in 2019.Results: Participants were aged 31 (SD=11) years, 64% male, and had a resting blood pressure of 121 (SD=16)/76 (SD=12) mmHg. The population was 48% (95% CI=47.5%, 48.6%) hypertensive. Male participants had a higher prevalence of hypertension (50.7%, 95% CI=50.1%, 51.4%) than female participants (43.1%, 95% CI=42.2%, 44.0%), with prevalence increasing with age. Odds of hypertension increased when performing no or insufficient physical activity and with increasing obesity (p<0.01), tripling (OR=3.06, 3.66) for all individuals who performed no physical activity except for those of normal weight (OR=1.72), and doubling (OR=2.13À3.87) for individuals who were obese or morbidly obese across all physical activity levels.
Conclusions:This study is the first to determine population-based prevalence rates of hypertension in individuals with intellectual disability. It highlights the similarity in prevalence to the general population. The results emphasize the importance of population-wide screening, increasing physical activity, and reducing obesity in decreasing cardiovascular risk in this population.
Background
Information about obesity among people with intellectual disability comes mostly from small‐scale, national samples in high‐income countries. There are limited data from transnational studies.
Method
BMI scores had been obtained for over 25,000 youth and adults with intellectual disabilities drawn from 60 European and Eurasian countries. Their height and weight had been measured using standardized procedures when they attended Special Olympics Healthy Athletes events.
Results
Binary logistic regression identified higher levels of obesity for athletes living in high‐income countries, and for adult females, for those aged 30 years and over, and also for youth aged 8–13 years.
Conclusions
Participation in sports does not appear to have protected these athletes from obesity. Arguably, this remains the most pressing health issue for people with intellectual disability, particularly in Western Europe.
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