Understanding gastro-intestinal disease in aging people with intellectual disabilities
Aim::
To examine both the incidence and the predictor of gastro-intestinal disease in ageing people with intellectual disabilities
Background:
As compared to the general population people with intellectual disabilities appear to have much higher rates of constipation and gastric reflux, are prescribed a greater variety and quantity of medications for these and other conditions which may be contributing to further gastro-intestinal problems. Yet follow-up on such conditions also appears to be less for people with intellectual disabilities.
Method:
Utilizing matched data from the waves of both the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing general population sample the relationship between risk at wave one and actual incidence of gastro-intestinal diagnoses in subsequent waves will be examined, differences in patterns of predictors considered and identification of possible different and additional risks explored.
As part of PhD training student will receive formalized training in the administration of a computer assisted protocol, participate in a multidisciplinary research team and will be expected to complete data collection interviews and to assist in interview scheduling, data cleaning and analyses. The supervisory team will be multidisciplinary and include international scholars.