‘A potentially ticking time bomb’ – barriers for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease in people with intellectual disabilities
Journal article, Peer reviewed
Published version

Åpne
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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3170741Utgivelsesdato
2024Metadata
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Originalversjon
JARID: Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities. 2024, 37 (6), e13279. 10.1111/jar.13279Sammendrag
Background
Research suggests that people with intellectual disabilities have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than the general population. The aim of this study was to identify barriers for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease for people with intellectual disabilities.
Method
We conducted individual interviews with relatives and general practitioners and focus group interviews with staff working at an assisted home facility, a cardiac ward, an obesity clinic and two rehabilitation centres (n = 33) in Norway. Inductive approach and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data.
Results
We identified barriers on an individual and a structural level. The underlying reason for these barriers is that health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, are regularly overlooked as the condition of intellectual disability overshadows other possible diagnoses.
Conclusion
This focus on intellectual disability rather than other explanations leads to shortcomings in the prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of cardiovascular disease in this group.