Kathleen Humphries

Nutrition Education and Support Program for Community-Dwelling Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

To test the efficacy, acceptability, and appropriateness of a nutrition education and support program, 4 community-based group homes for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities participated in a pilot intervention with extended baseline period and pre-post-test design. Adults (N = 32) with intellectual or developmental disabilities, 20 direct service staff, 4 managers of group homes, and 2 health specialists at private service providers participated in the intervention, consisting of a system of nutrition supports in nutrition education and guidelines, menu and meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking designed for the special needs of this population. Positive impacts were found using the program, including fidelity measures, food systems changes and acceptability to users, planned and served foods, and cost changes associated with implementation.

Obesity in children with developmental and/or physical disabilities

Children with developmental or physical disabilities, many of whom face serious health-related conditions, also are affected by the current obesity crisis. Although evidence indicates that children with disabilities have a higher prevalence of obesity than do children without disabilities, little is known of the actual magnitude of the problem in this population. To address this concern, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) held a conference on obesity in children with intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities, bringing together scientists and practitioners in the fields of obesity and disability to foster collaboration, identify barriers to healthy weight status in populations with disabilities, propose avenues to solutions through research and practice, and develop a research agenda to address the problem. This article describes current knowledge about prevalence of obesity in this population, discusses factors influencing obesity risk, and summarizes recommendations for research presented at the conference.

A preliminary assessment of the nutrition and food-system environment of adults with intellectual disabilities living in supported arrangements in the community

This preliminary study characterized the adequacy of planned diets in two community-based, supported-living arrangements for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities in Montana. The goals were to clarify the residents’ nutritional risks and to identify appropriate areas and means for intervention. Observations, interviews, and analyses of menus, shopping lists, and grocery receipts led to conclusions about the residents’ dietary adequacy. We conclude that the food systems, with their strong (and unhealthful) food traditions, lend themselves to systematic environmental changes, including targeted practice guidelines and support materials, to improve the diets and food habits.