Abstract
Aims
1. To explore the attitudes and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities who are overweight/ obese, and their carers, about food, healthy eating and activity. 2. To explore how attitudes influence dietary intake and activity.
Project Outline/Methodology
People were recruited through day and residential services for adults with intellectual disabilities in East Lothian and Midlothian. Individual interviews and a focus group explored the experiences of four groups; A) service users with an intellectual disability who were overweight/obese; B) family carers; C) paid carers; and D) day/residential service project leaders.
Key Results
Service users knew about the importance of healthy eating and activity for health and wellbeing. They had high levels of support from carers with food choice, shopping and preparation. Family carers had strong feelings of care and concern about the health and wellbeing of their family member. Parents were torn between a desire for their son/daughter to lose weight, and a desire to provide them with love and fulfilment through food. Paid carers had little formal training in nutrition or how to support their service users’ food choices. How they negotiated with service users regarding food and activity depended on their own ideas, attitudes, and initiative. They felt that lack of resources reduced service users’ access to healthy food, and to activities such as swimming. All carers were frustrated about inconsistencies between their approaches to diet and activity. Professional carers wanted to fulfil their professional duty of care but also support service users to make their own decisions.
1. To explore the attitudes and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities who are overweight/ obese, and their carers, about food, healthy eating and activity. 2. To explore how attitudes influence dietary intake and activity.
Project Outline/Methodology
People were recruited through day and residential services for adults with intellectual disabilities in East Lothian and Midlothian. Individual interviews and a focus group explored the experiences of four groups; A) service users with an intellectual disability who were overweight/obese; B) family carers; C) paid carers; and D) day/residential service project leaders.
Key Results
Service users knew about the importance of healthy eating and activity for health and wellbeing. They had high levels of support from carers with food choice, shopping and preparation. Family carers had strong feelings of care and concern about the health and wellbeing of their family member. Parents were torn between a desire for their son/daughter to lose weight, and a desire to provide them with love and fulfilment through food. Paid carers had little formal training in nutrition or how to support their service users’ food choices. How they negotiated with service users regarding food and activity depended on their own ideas, attitudes, and initiative. They felt that lack of resources reduced service users’ access to healthy food, and to activities such as swimming. All carers were frustrated about inconsistencies between their approaches to diet and activity. Professional carers wanted to fulfil their professional duty of care but also support service users to make their own decisions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Scottish Government Health Directorate Chief Scientist Office |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Place of Publication | Edinburgh |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
| Externally published | Yes |
