National health surveillance of adults with disabilities, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and adults with no disabilities.

Background: People with disabilities experience worse health and poorer access to health care compared to people without disability. Large-scale health surveillance efforts have largely excluded adults with intellectual and developmental disability. This study expands knowledge of health status, health risks and preventative health care in a representative US sample comparing the health of adults with no disability to adults with intellectual and developmental disability and to adults with other types of disability.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were (1) to identify disparities between adults with intellectual and developmental disability and adults with no disability and (2) compare this pattern of disparities to the pattern between adults with other types of disability and adults without disability.

Methods: This study compares health status, health risks and preventative health care in a national sample across three groups of adults: No Disability, Disability, and Intellectual and Developmental Disability. Data sources were the 2010 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey and the National Core Indicators Consumer Survey.

Results: Adults with disability and with intellectual and developmental disability were more likely to report being in poor health compared to adults without disability. Disability and intellectual and developmental disability conferred unique health risks and health care utilization patterns.

Conclusions: Significant disparities in health and health care utilization were found for adults with disability and developmental disability relative to adults without disability. Disability training for health care providers and health promotion research that identifies disability as a demographic group is needed.