Health Checks for People with Down Syndrome: A Pooled Analysis of Three Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

Health checks have beneficial effects on health outcomes in adults with intellectual disability; however, little is known about their effect on people with Down syndrome. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of receiving a health check on the unmet health needs of people with Down syndrome. A pooled analysis of three randomized trials conducted by the same Australian research team was undertaken. The trials used the same tools but differed by participant source (adults in 24 h supported accommodation, adults in private dwellings, adolescents living with parents). The intervention was a one-off health check, and the comparator was usual care. Among 216 participants, health actions were more likely to occur for those allocated to receive health checks, including increased hearing (odds ratio = 4.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.2, 16.4), vision (2.7; 1.1, 6.7), and thyroid (2.3; 1.3, 4.2) testing, and weight recording (4.7; 2.5, 8.8). Health checks conducted at the primary-care level produced substantially increased attention to the health needs of people with Down syndrome.

Keywords

• Down syndrome
• health assessment
• health check
• health promotion
• intellectual disability
• preventative medicine