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The Health of People with Intellectual Disabilities A Challenge for Us All EASY TO READ VERSION BELOW “© European Easyto-Read Logo: Inclusion Europe. More information at https://www.inclusioneurope.eu/easy-to-read/”. People with intellectual disabilities (ID) often face greater health risks compared to the general population. These challenges include overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, and unhealthy habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption. ❓ Why is it crucial to talk about this? An unhealthy lifestyle can significantly impact quality of life, life expectancy, and independence for people with ID. It is essential that we take action! 🚀 💡 What can we do? ✅ Promoting healthy lifestyles 🥗🏃‍♂️ among people with ID is crucial to reducing health inequalities ⚖️ and improving their overall well-being 😊.Together, we can make a difference! 🤝 🔬 Research and Challenges Ahead Although lifestyle change interventions have proven effective in the general population, studies on people with ID still face major challenges ⚠️. 📌 Issues such as unclear definitions and lack of detailed information make it difficult to draw solid conclusions about what works best.📊 Recent studies indicate that only 9% of adults with ID meet the recommended levels of physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle💪.🏡 Additionally, the transition from institutional settings to community living has exposed people with ID to new social and environmental pressures, which can influence the adoption of risky behaviors ⚠️. Despite these obstacles, research is the key to finding solutions and promoting health in people with ID! 📚 📢 A Call to Action It is crucial that lifestyle modification interventions for people with ID address a variety of risk behaviors, including alcohol consumption and smoking, and are based on solid behavior change theories 🧠. 🙌 Join us in this effort! #IDHEAPP💙 Together, we can create a more inclusive and healthier world for everyone. 🌎✨ References:Rana D, Westrop S, Jaiswal N, Germeni E, McGarty A, Ells L, Lally P, McEwan M, Melville C, Harris L, Wu O. Lifestyle modification interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities: systematic review and meta-analysis at intervention and component levels. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2024 May;68(5):387-445. doi: 10.1111/jir.13098. Epub 2024 Feb 27. PMID: 38414293.Willems M, Waninge A, Hilgenkamp TIM, van Empelen P, Krijnen WP, van der Schans CP, Melville CA. Effects of lifestyle change interventions for people with intellectual disabilities: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2018 Nov;31(6):949-961. doi: 10.1111/jar.12463. Epub 2018 May 8. PMID: 29737607. EASY-TO-READ VERSION The Health of People with Intellectual Disabilities: A challenge for everyone People with intellectual disabilities (ID) often have more health problems than others. They may face challenges like: Being overweight or obese Not moving enough Sitting too much Smoking or drinking alcohol Why is this important? An unhealthy lifestyle can make life harder. It can affect: How long a person lives How happy and independent they are That’s why we must do something about it. What can we do? Encourage healthy habits like eating well and moving more Support people with ID so they can live healthier lives Work together to make a difference What does research say? Scientists study ways to help people with ID be healthier, but there are some problems: Many studies do not give clear answers Only 9% of adults with ID do enough exercise to stay healthy Moving from institutions to the community can bring new challenges and risks Even with these difficulties, research is important. It helps us find solutions. Let’s Take Action Healthy lifestyle programs for people with ID must be better. They should: Help stop risky habits like smoking and drinking Use strong scientific methods to create real change Join us in making the world healthier for everyone. Together, we can create a more inclusive and healthy world.

Co-designing the IDHEApp model The State of the Art Report is already available! EASY TO READ VERSION BELOW “© European Easyto-Read Logo: Inclusion Europe. More information at https://www.inclusioneurope.eu/easy-to-read/”. The IDHEApp model represents an innovative approach to designing lifestyle interventions for adolescents with intellectual disabilities, with a strong focus on physical activity and nutrition. To support its development, a systematic review of existing scientific literature was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of digital technological interventions in promoting healthier behaviors in young people with ID. This work, led by the team at the Technische Universitaet München (TUM), examined scientific studies on interventions aimed at promoting physical activity and healthy eating among adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The review analyzed their impact, methodologies, and outcomes. The findings from this review have guided the development of IDHEApp. By integrating scientific evidence with a co-design approach, the IDHEApp model aspires to provide an accessible and inclusive solution with the potential to enhance the well-being of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The comprehensive findings of this review are now available in the State of the Art Report, accessible through the Results & Resources section of the project website. EASY-TO-READ VERSION Easy-to-Read Version: The IDHEApp model is a new way to help teenagers with intellectual disabilities live healthier lives. It focuses on physical activity and good nutrition. To create IDHEApp, experts from Technische Universitaet München (TUM) studied scientific research on how digital tools can help young people with intellectual disabilities become more active and eat healthier. The research looked at different programs, checking what works best and how they help. The results of this study helped design IDHEApp. The goal is to make a simple and inclusive tool that helps teenagers with intellectual disabilities live healthier and feel better. You can now read the full State of the Art Report in the Results & Resources section of the project website.

Partner meeting in Rome 2nd in person meeting of the partnership EASY TO READ VERSION BELOW “© European Easyto-Read Logo: Inclusion Europe. More information at https://www.inclusioneurope.eu/easy-to-read/”. The IDHEApp project consortium held its second face-to-face meeting in Rome, where AIPD welcomed the other partners to update them on the progress of the project. During the meeting, the progress of the systematic review of existing scientific data related to lifestyle interventions in adolescents with intellectual disabilities, particularly those habits related to physical activity and nutrition, was presented. The results of this research conducted by TUM will be available soon! In addition, the next steps for the development of the Guidelines and Recommendations related to reducing sedentary lifestyles were outlined, as well as the organisation of the pilot study. We also had the opportunity to discuss the progress in the development of the App, which is already starting to take shape!  Our next face-to-face meeting will be held in October 2025, towards the end of the project, when we will share and evaluate the results obtained. However, we still have a long way to go until then and in the meantime we will continue to work on the next activities! EASY-TO-READ VERSION The IDHEApp project team had their second face-to-face meeting in Rome.  AIPD hosted the meeting and updated everyone on the project’s progress. During the meeting, we talked about the review of scientific data on lifestyle habits for teenagers with intellectual disabilities, like physical activity and nutrition.  This review was done by TUM, and the results will be available soon! We also discussed the next steps for making guidelines and recommendations to help reduce sitting time and the planning of a pilot study. The team talked about the progress of the App, which is starting to take shape. The next face-to-face meeting will be in October 2025, near the end of the project, to share and evaluate the results.  Until then, we will continue working on the next activities.

Kick-off meeting​ 1st in person meeting of the partnership EASY TO READ VERSION BELOW “© European Easyto-Read Logo: Inclusion Europe. More information at https://www.inclusioneurope.eu/easy-to-read/”. Last February, the project partners met in the city of Munich, specifically at the headquarters of the Munich University of Technology, where we had the opportunity to make a first contact with those who will be our travelling companions in this exciting project. During the meeting, we discussed the first steps towards achieving the objectives of the project. In this first phase, we will collect evidence on international recommendations on sedentary lifestyles and physical activity in people with IDD. This will be used to create an app for mobile environments that will positively influence the eating habits and practices of adolescents with IDD. Users, families, academics and technicians will work together to implement these challenges. At the same time, we will test the app with users to see how it works and what they think of it. Our next face-to-face meeting will take place next June in Rome, where we will update on the progress made. EASY-TO-READ VERSION Last February, the project partners met in the city of Munich.  The meeting was at the Munich University of Technology. We had the chance to meet the people who will work with us on this exciting project. During the meeting, we talked about the first steps to reach the goals of the project. In the first phase, we will collect information on international advice about sitting too much and physical activity for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). We will use this information to create a mobile phone app.  This app will help improve the eating habits and activities of teenagers with IDD. Users, families, academics, and technicians will work together to face these challenges. We will also test the app with users to see how it works and what they think about it. Our next face-to-face meeting will be in Rome in June.  We will talk about the progress we have made.