Children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the United States are more likely to be obese than non-disabled children. In addition, Latino children have higher rates of obesity than white children. Despite these disparities, there is very limited research on health and obesity among Latino children and adolescents with IDD.
Professor Sandy Magaña is addressing this gap through a new project funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The goals of the project are to generate new knowledge about Latino children with IDD and their health, and to develop and test an intervention to promote healthy lifestyles among Latino children and adolescents with IDD and their families.