[Identifying Outcome Measures Used for Weight Management Interventions in the Adult Population with Learning Disabilities: A Narrative Review]

Abstract

Abstract Background: Although there are numerous studies that were undertake on weight management interventions in the adult population with learning disabilities (LDs), there is a dearth of reviews to describes outcome measures that were used in the intervention studies in terms of arguing their strengths and weaknesses in order to identify an effective outcome measure for this group. This study reviews and identity the effective outcome measures that intervention studies designed and employed to assess and measure whether weight management intervention has worked in adults with LDs. Methods: Medline, Cochrane Library, CINHAL, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched. The PICO approach enables the establishment of an effective research question and a PRISMA flow diagram maps out the number of records identified, included and excluded, and the reasons for exclusions finally, data extraction tool from the JBI SUMARI was employed to elicit the applicable information of the included studied. Results: A total of 5,362 articles were identified in the initial search, of which 15 studies were included. These studies comprised the most common research designs which were quasi- experimental pre-test and post-test: randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental design and retrospective cohort studies. The studies comprised 1,357 participants; 545 (50%) were female and 542 (50%) were male. The mean age range was 36.3–69.4 years and they were from six geographic regions (US, UK, Korea, Canada, Spain and Sweden). The validity of BMI in describing the amount of adipose tissue in individuals with learning disabilities, particularly in the abdominal area, has been challenged. Measures like as waist circumference are often employed in research to determine the impact of central obesity on health and function. Clinical evaluation should include BMI and waist circumference as an outcome measure, which has been suggested. Conclusion: Adults with learning disabilities should have their body composition assessed using various approaches but healthcare providers should be aware of the limits of each. Tools for adults with learning disabilities that are valid and non-invasive require further development. Before conducting body composition measurements, further research is needed to establish valid, non-invasive body composition assessment tools for adults with learning disabilities. Future work should focus on the modification and evaluation of existing measures. Moreover, it is recommended that a similar outcome measure framework be produced to support evaluation of adult obesity programmes.