Comparing the cardiac risk profile of ageing persons with intellectual disabilities and the general ageing population.
Aim:: To understand differences and similarities in the relationship between risk factors and incidence of hypertension and heart disease in people ageing with an intellectual disability as compared to the general ageing population.
Background: In the general population there are well established risk trajectories in terms of ratings of obesity, frequency and intensity of physical activity and markers such as cholesterol. It is well reported that hypertension and cardiac disease do occur for people with intellectual disabilities but not at the rates that would be expected given the presence of elevated levels of risk and low rated and minimal intensity reported for physical activity. Such overall findings require further investigation if the relationship between risk and incidence is to be more fully understood.
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 hypertension and cardiac disease in subsequent waves will be examined, differences in patterns of risk 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.