Strategic Plan - Disabilities & Disparities Priority:
Identifying and reducing disparities in key health indicators,
including obesity, among children, youth and adults with
disabilities. What is the Problem? - Obesity rates for children
and adults with disabilities are 38 percent and 57 percent
higher than rates for children and adults without disabilities.
- Adults with disabilities engage in physical activities on a
regular basis approximately half as often as adults without
disabilities (12 percent vs. 22 percent). - Disparities have
been found in access to health care, with 29 percent of people
with disabilities showing unmet need compared to 12 percent of
people without disabilities. What Do We Know? The growing body
of research on the link between obesity and disability indicates
that, for both children and adults, those at greatest risk for
obesity have mobility limitations, intellectual/learning
disabilities, or both. Whether obesity is the result of
disability or a contributing factor to disability,