Health profile for Danish adults with activity limitation and/or physical disability

Presentation type: Pitch
Health profile for Danish adults with activity limitation and/or physical disability
Presenting author: Nina Føns Johnsen, [email protected]
Authors: NF, Johnsen; M, Davidsen; SI, Michelsen; K, Juel
Affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark

Background
Studies in Canada, UK, Sweden and Norway have indicated that people with disabilities die earlier and experience a poorer health than the general population. In addressing the Danish National Government’s focus on equality in health, this study investigated 35 factors related to health and well-being, health behavior, social relations and use of health care services among Danish people with activity limitation and/or physical disabilities.
Methods
This study was based on data from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey (DHMS) 2013 where 25,000 men and women aged 16 years or older were selected randomly from the Central Civil Registration Registry. A total of 14,265 individuals answered a paper version or a web version of the self-administered questionnaire including 100 questions on health-related quality of life, health behavior, morbidity, consequences of illness and social relations. Based on an international standard question on activity limitation, 888 individuals (6 %) were defined as having severe activity limitation and 4180 (29 %) as having moderate activity limitation. Based on a question on physical disabilities, 5633 (40 %) individuals had moderate or severe difficulties with seeing or reading, hearing, or walking or carrying things.
Selected results
The proportion of individuals with good or superior health among people with activity limitation was one third of the proportion with good or superior health among people without activity limitation. Similarly, the proportion of individuals with headache, psychological symptoms, daily smoking, physical inactivity, obesity and infrequent contact with family or friends was twice as high. Similar results were found for individuals with physical disabilities.
Conclusions
A smaller proportion of Danish adults with activity limitation and/or physical disabilities experiences a good health and well-being, a larger proportion has an unhealthy lifestyle, poor social relations and uses the health care system frequently, as compared to adults without activity limitation and/or physical disability. People with activity limitation and/or physical disabilities should be prioritized in public health and efforts done to secure availability and flexibility of health care services and primary prevention programs.

Main messages (max 200 characters including spaces)
Danish adults with activity limitation and/or disabilities have a poor health and social contact. Availability and flexibility of health care services and prevention programs should be prioritized.