Trends in Body Mass Index among Children with Mild and Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

In recent years, worldwide obesity has increased both in the adult as well as childhood populations. Research shows that obesity nowadays is associated with still younger age. What is currently becoming the focal point of attention is the prevalence of obesity in people with intellectual disabilities whose physical and mental limitations affect, to a certain degree, their daily lives. Nevertheless, there is a lack of data for the childhood population with intellectual disabilities.This research seeks to compare trends in BMI indicators and eating habits among children with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities who live with their families as opposed to those who are provided for at Children’s home in region Zlín in the Czech Republic. The research method used was quantitative and comparative research approached deductively. BMI indicators were determined by means of InBody analyser. Eating habits data were collected through a questionnaire of our own design which is standardly used in the Special Olympics Healthy Athlete Project. The BMI trends were observed in twelve children from two primary schools. We have concluded that children with mild ID who are provided for at the children’s home do not tend to be obesity, rather they have a proclivity to overweight or normal BMI and children with moderate ID have a proclivity to normal BMI or underweight. As emerged from case histories, only children with moderate ID living with their own families tend to have obesity or normal BMI but children with mild ID living with their own families tend to have overweight or normal BMI. Obesity and overweight are connected only with boys.Children’s weight remained the same within the existing BMI ranges. Summer holidays in children with mild ID and moderate ID living in children’s home had no verifiable effect on the BMI indicators. Children living in their own families had a subsequent weight rise before summer holiday (June 2017, June 2018) and a weight loss after holiday (September 2017, September 2018). Summer holiday influences the BMI indicators in children with mild ID and moderate ID living in their families. The research further shows that children with mild ID and moderate ID being cared for in the institutional environment have a healthier diet than children with mild ID and moderate ID living with their families.The conclusions of the research may serve as a recommendation for parents to pay more attention to their children’s diet as well as their physical activity.