Establish collaboration to develop a digital intervention to promote health behaviors among young adults with intellectual disability

Young adults with intellectual disability (ID) have more sedentary lifestyle compared to young adults in the general population.

There is a lack of evidence-based knowledge on how professionals within the social services in systematic, sustainable, and practically feasible way can promote health behaviors such as physical activity, healthy diet, and social participation for this group.

One viable option for improving health behaviors is to use digital interventions, so called eHealth. eHealth provides a wide range of possibilities for health behavior promotion, but has not yet been evaluated among young adults with ID. Therefore, is critical to utilize digital interventions for health promotion targeted and tailored to this group.

The overall purpose with the future project is to develop, evaluate and implement a digital intervention to promote health behaviors among young adults with ID.

To accomplish the purpose of the future project, a planning project will be conducted, aiming:To establish an ID research forum together with young adults with ID, professionals within the social welfare-, healthcare- and school system, relatives, other relevant partners, and researchers.To pilot a collaboration model for co-creating the development of a digital intervention to promote health behaviors, including a model for addressing needs, facilitators, and barriers for health promotion targeting youth with ID.The planning project will contribute with an increased understanding of how a collaborative model can promote the development of an eHealth intervention to promote health for this often excluded and marginalized group.

The future project is expected to provide improved knowledge on the development, effect and implementation of a digital intervention targeting young adults with ID.