My PhD project
Health promoting interventions towards young adults with intellectual disabilities- competence, knowledge and quality in health care programmes.
Background
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset during childhood. ID is characterized by an IQ below 70 and impairments of the cognitive and adaptive abilities. Difficulties in processing and applying information and coping with life independently are common.Young adults with ID have poorer health profiles and unhealthy lifestyles compared to their peers in the general population. There are several reasons for this. Partly, it is due to the difficulties that the disability entails. Other reasons include a lack of evidence regarding health promoting interventions targeting young adults with ID, and shortcomings in health and social care regarding knowledge, encounter and accessibility. Young adults with ID are less likely to participate in, understand and use the health information and advice provided by professionals within health and social care. Health information, advice and support for positive behavioural changes need to be presented in an easy-to-understand and concrete manner.
There is a great need to increase knowledge and competence in health and social care, both in terms of health promotion interventions and encounters towards young adults with ID. One way to achieve this is by better preparing students in health care education for their future professional roles through education about those topics. The education currently provided is far from sufficient, and more research is needed to understand what such education should entail and to ensure its quality.
Overall aim
To increase knowledge and understanding of how education about health promoting interventions and encounters towards young adults with intellectual disabilities can be integrated into health care education.
Relevace
By examining how young adults with ID, their significant others, professionals within health and social care, teachers and students in health care education perceive health, lifestyle behaviours, health promotion interventions, work methods, and encounters towards young adults with ID, we can develop an understanding of how evidence-based education in health care education about health promoting interventions and encounters towards young adults with ID can be created. Evidence-based education provides teachers and students with opportunities for learning, in-depth knowledge and competence.In the long term, it can enhance the ability of health care professionals to support this marginalized group in achieving greater participation and independence. This will enable them to make informed decisions, adopt healthy choices, and implement behavioural changes that positively impact their health. The thesis is expected to contribute to a better understanding of how healthy lifestyle behaviours can be promoted for young adults with ID. It is also anticipated to increase competence, knowledge and quality in health care education.
