Prevalence and incidence of physical health conditions in people with intellectual disability – a systematic review

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize evidence on the prevalence and incidence of physical health conditions in people with intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: We searched Medline, PsycInfo, and Embase for eligible studies and extracted the prevalence, incidence, and risk of physical health conditions in people with ID. RESULTS: Of 131 eligible studies, we synthesized results from 77 moderate- to high-quality studies, which was mainly limited to high-income countries. The highest prevalence estimates were observed for epilepsy, ear and eye disorders, cerebral palsy, obesity, osteoporosis, congenital heart defects, and thyroid disorders. Some conditions were more common in people with a genetic syndrome. Compared with the general population, many health conditions occur more frequently among people with ID, including asthma and diabetes, while some conditions such as non-congenital circulatory diseases and solid cancers occur at the same or lower rate. The latter associations may reflect under-detection. CONCLUSIONS: People with ID have a health profile more complex than previously known. There is a pressing need for targeted, evidence-informed population health initiatives including preventative programs for this population.