Improving the Nutrition and Health of People with Developmental Disabilities via On-Line Program Dissemination

People with developmental disabilities (DD) experience poor nutrition, obesity, and other serious health problems at significantly higher rates than those in the general public. Fifty percent of people with DD are obese, double the rate for all other Americans; diabetes and hypertension are also serious problems for this population. There are many reasons for these elevated rates and previous attempts (using exercise and education) to reduce these issues, have been neither efficacious nor sustainable. Recent programmatic interventions focusing on diet and the nutritional intake of people with DD have been much more successful in improving their quality of life and reducing the rate of serious secondary medical conditions. A study at a social service agency found that group home residents using these interventions showed marked improvement in nutrition, Body Mass Indices, health status indicators, as well as decreased food costs. These successful interventions, plus the addition of several new offerings, are now being adapted for online delivery and presentation. The objective of this project is to determine which of several ways of delivering these services produces favorable outcomes. Several factors we will examine for each delivery mechanism include increased learning for staff, as well as the nutrition, quality of life, health, and costs for residents. We believe this project will help improve the health and quality of life for people with DD as well as providing cost-effective outcomes for other stakeholders that support this vital group of citizens.