This work was supported by a grant from Shalem Fund
The current study investigates the nutritional status of elderly individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) in Israel. As life expectancy for people with IDD continues to rise, there is a notable gap in knowledge regarding their nutritional status, particularly among those living in community settings and within older age groups. This population ages prematurely and faces an increased risk of chronic diseases. To address these challenges, the study developed the Photo.Rec24.IDD tool, which assessing nutritional intake by integrating photographic documentation with traditional dietary reporting. This method was found to improve the accuracy of nutritional intake assessment compared to traditional methods. The findings indicate that the IDD population suffers from many nutritional problems, such as low consumption of dietary fiber and micronutrients and high consumption of sodium and ultra-processed food. The study highlights the need to enhance dietary quality and patterns and advocates for the development of tailored dietary guidelines for the IDD population.
Keywords: Developmental Disabilities; Intellectual Disabilities; Dietary Records; Questionnaire Design; Nutritional Assessment; Body Mass Index; Nutritional Surveys; Nutritional Food Quality; Nutrition Index; Mediterranean Diet; Healthy Eating Index; Ultra-Processed Foods
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