Staffs' knowledge and attitudes towards the health promotion needs of people with intellectual disabilities

Aim: The study was designed to explore the knowledge of residential and day-care staff working with persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) with regards to the health promotion needs of this population.Method: A postal questionnaire was developed and distributed to 600 staff (response rate of 35.5%; N=248). An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the questionnaire and subsequently amended. The questionnaire was then re-administered to the 248 staff.Results: Results indicated a dearth of knowledge amongst staff regarding this population's physical health needs and understanding of health surveillance. Tensions were highlighted regarding the right to choose versus duty of care debate between the person with ID, family carers and staff. Whose role and responsibility it is to promote the health of this population was highlighted. Education and training around the main health issues, risk factors, health screening and health promotion needs were also highlighted.Conclusion: The tool could be used by service providers and in future research to assess staff's knowledge of health and health promotion needs thus enabling future interventions to be relevant and make a real difference to the lives of adults with ID.