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A health advocacy intervention for adolescents with intellectual disability: a cluster randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Lennox Nicholas,
McPherson Lyn,
Bain Chris,
O'Callaghan Michael,
Carrington Suzanne,
Ware Robert S
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/dmcn.13174
Subject(s) - intellectual disability , intervention (counseling) , medicine , health promotion , randomized controlled trial , cluster randomised controlled trial , health care , population , odds ratio , family medicine , gerontology , public health , nursing , psychiatry , environmental health , surgery , pathology , economic growth , economics
Aim Adolescents with intellectual disability experience poorer heath than their peers in the general population, partially due to communication barriers and knowledge gaps in their health history. This study aimed to test a health intervention package against usual care for a range of health promotion and disease detection outcomes. Method A parallel‐group cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with Australian adolescents with intellectual disability living in the community. Randomization occurred at school level. The intervention package consisted of classroom‐based health education, a hand‐held personalized health record, and a health check. Evidence of health promotion, disease prevention, and case‐finding activities were extracted from general practitioners' records for 12 months post‐intervention. Results Clinical data was available for 435 of 592 (73.5%) participants from 85 schools. Adolescents allocated to receive the health intervention were more likely to have their vision (odds ratio [ OR ] 3.3; 95% confidence interval [ CI ] 1.8–6.1) and hearing ( OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.0–7.3) tested, their blood pressure checked ( OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.6–3.7), and weight recorded ( OR 4.8; 95% CI 3.1–7.6). There was no difference between health intervention and usual care for identification of new diseases. Interpretation The school‐based intervention package increased healthcare activity in adolescents with intellectual disability living in the community.