Chronic Disease and Risk Factors among Nevadans with Disabilities: A 2009 BRFSS Study

Previous research has found that people with disabilities are more likely to have chronic diseases (coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes), secondary conditions (high blood pressure, high cholesterol) and risk factors for chronic disease (physical inactivity and obesity) (Havercamp, Scandlin, & Roth, 2004; Kinne, Patrick, & Doyle, 2004; Nosek, Hughes, Petersen et al., 2006; Reichard, Stolzle, & Fox, 2011). The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary analysis using data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to identify differences in chronic disease risk factors and chronic disease/ secondary conditions between adults with and without disabilities in Nevada. Nevadans with a disability were significantly more likely to report having chronic diseases (cancer, coronary artery disease, diabetes, stroke and asthma), to be physically inactive, and overweight/obese and to report high blood pressure and high cholesterol. As a way to reduce chronic disease and secondary conditions among people with disabilities, Healthy People 2010 calls for all wellness and treatment facilities to be fully accessible for people with disabilities (US Department of Health and Human Service, 2002). More research is needed to determine if inaccessibility of wellness and treatment facilities is contributing to health disparities found among people with disabilities in Nevada