The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68032

Jasmina Sisirak, MPH, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Rd., Suite 707, Chicago, IL 60608, 312-996-3982, jsisir1@uic.edu

Nutrition is a key element for persons with disabilities in achieving optimal health. Poor nutritional status related to inadequate dietary intake, and physiological, psycho-social, and economic factors is a serious public health concern. People with disabilities are likely to be at greater risk than the general population for developing health conditions due to sedentary lifestyles and inadequate nutrition. Furthermore, existing scientific and practical information is poorly organized and scattered throughout a wide range of publications, from scientific journals to the popular press and Internet. The purpose of this project is to identify and gather information from a variety of traditional and non-traditional sources; evaluate the quality of information; synthesize information into accurate, accessible formats; and disseminate information that is of high quality and usable by individuals with various needs, from general public to researchers. The result of the project is a “one-stop” information center in the form of nutrition fact-sheets that will be available electronically and in paper form. The project is divided in three parts. The first part describes general nutrition guidelines including the Food Guide Pyramid, Estimating Portion Sizes, Food Label, and common food/drug interactions. The second part is Disability Specific Nutrition Guideline. Some examples are nutrition and Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and autism. The third part will discuss health conditions such as pain, fatigue, pressure sores, and spasticity. A conceptual framework of each nutrition fact-sheet will be presented and examples of the fact sheets will be displayed

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to:
• 1. Recognize that people with disabilities may have unique nutritional needs due to different growth and energy requirements and associated health conditions and concerns.
• 2. Understand conceptual framework that is the basis of nutrition fact sheets.
• 3. Recognize cultural, socioeconomic, psychological and physiological factors influencing food selection and preparation.

Keywords: Disability, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.