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Grip strength is an important predictor of several health outcomes in the general older population. Grip strength assessment is feasible and reliable in older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), which makes it a valuable measurement for application in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of handedness on grip strength in the older population with ID. Handedness and grip strength were assessed in a sample of 1050 older adults (greater than or equal to 50 years) with borderline to profound ID. Results showed that 26.2% of the study sample was left-handed. In right-handed participants the dominant hand (right) was on average 8.7% stronger than the non-dominant hand (p less than 0.001). For lefthanded participants there was no significant difference between the dominant hand (left) and nondominant hand. However, more detailed analyses revealed that 34.5% of the participants were stronger with their non-dominant hand, (on average 16.6% stronger for right-handed and 16.3% stronger for left-handed participants). Because of the large strength ratios, distributed in favor of both the dominant as the non-dominant hand, it is recommended to assess both hands to get a valid result of grip strength in older adults with ID. (Contains 4 tables.)

Physical fitness is as important to aging adults with ID as in the general population, but to date, the physical fitness levels of this group are unknown. Comfortable walking speed, muscle strength (grip strength), muscle endurance (30 s Chair stand) and cardiorespiratory endurance (10 m incremental shuttle walking test) were tested in a sample of 1050 older adults with ID, and results were compared with reference values from the general population. Across all age ranges, approximately two-third of the entire study population scored "below average" or "impaired." Even the youngest age groups (50-59 or 50-54 years) in this sample achieve similar or worse results than age groups 20-30 years older in the general population. Low physical fitness levels in older adults with ID demonstrate that this group is prone to unnecessary premature loss of functioning and health problems, and maintaining physical fitness should have priority in practice and policy. (Contains 4 figures and 3 tables.)

Sarcopenia is defined as a syndrome characterised by progressive and generalised loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It has hardly been studied in older people with intellectual disabilities (ID). In this study 884 persons with borderline to profound ID aged 50 years and over, were investigated to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in this group. To identify the associations of sarcopenia, logistic regression analyses were performed with patient characteristics, mobility, physical activity, intake of energy and proteins, body mass index (BMI) and levels of CRP, albumin and vitamin D in serum. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 14.3% in the total group. In the age group 50-64 years prevalence was 12.7%. Sarcopenia was positively associated with mobility impairment and inflammation and negatively with BMI. The next thing to do is collecting longitudinal data to study the relation between sarcopenia and negative outcomes in older people with ID. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study measures physical activity levels in a representative population-based sample of older adults (aged [greater than or equal to]50 years) with intellectual disabilities. For this, the steps/day of all 1050 participants of the Healthy Ageing and Intellectual Disabilities study (HA-ID; a study conducted among three Dutch healthcare providers in 2009-2010), were measured with a pedometer. Largely due to physical limitations (n = 103), walking speed less than 3.2 km/h (n = 252), limited understanding or non-cooperation (n = 233), only 257 of the group were able to participate in valid measurements with pedometers. Of these 257 participants, only 16.7% (95% CI 12.2-21.3) complied with the guideline of 10,000 steps/day, 36.2% (95% CI 30.3-42.1) took 7500 steps/day or more, and 39% (95% CI 32.6-44.5) was sedentary (less than 5000 steps/day). Because the measured sample was the more functionally able part of the total sample, this result is likely to be a considerable overestimation of the actual physical activity levels in this population. This realistic study shows that physical activity levels are extremely low in adults aged 50 years and over with intellectual disabilities. Focus on lifetime promotion of physical activity in this specific, but rapidly growing population, is recommended. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Problems encountered in epidemiologic health research in older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are how to recruit a large-scale sample of participants and how to measure a range of health variables in such a group. This cross-sectional study into healthy ageing started with founding a consort of three large care providers with a total client population of 2322 clients of 50 years and over, and two academic institutes. This consort made formal agreements about a research infrastructure and research themes: (1) physical activity and fitness, (2) nutrition and nutritional state, and (3) mood and anxiety. Subsequently, preparation was started by carefully reviewing and selecting instruments to measure a wide set of health variables to answer the research questions. Specific demands of these instruments were that they could be executed efficiently and accurately on-site in a large sample of participants and that the burden of these measurements for participants as well as their caregivers was as minimal as possible. Then, preparation was continued by designing and executing a thorough communication plan for clients, legal representatives and staff of the care providers, preceding the informed consent procedure. In this plan, which had a top-down structure, specific attention was given to personally informing and motivating of key stakeholders: the professional care givers. This preparation led to a recruitment of 1050 participants (45.2%) and to high participation rates in key parts of the assessment. A detailed description is provided about the recruitment and organization and the selected instruments.

Daily living skills are important to ageing adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of these skills in older adults with ID and to investigate the influence of gender, age, level of ID and mobility on these skills. Daily living skills were measured with the Barthel Index (for Activities of Daily Living, ADL) and the Lawton IADL scale (for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, IADL) in 989 adults with ID aged 50 years and over living in community-based and institutional settings. Descriptives were presented by categories of gender, age, level of ID and mobility. Regression analysis was used to investigate the influence of these variables on total and item scores of ADL and IADL questionnaires. ADL and IADL scores in older adults with ID are comparable to those of vulnerable patient groups. Total ADL score was mainly determined by mobility, while total IADL score was mainly determined by level of ID. Of all 18 separate items of these questionnaires, 11 were determined more by mobility than level of ID. The Barthel Index and Lawton IADL scale are recommended for future use in research and clinical practice in this group. This study stresses the need to support mobility older adults with ID as much as possible, in order to optimalize independency in this group. (Contains 3 tables.)