An Exploration of the Organisational Enablers of and Barriers to Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Aim: The health-related behaviours of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are strongly influenced by cultural and social factors such as organisational context yet this has rarely been investigated. This study explores the organisational barriers and solutions to the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviours for this population. Method:Qualitative methodology was used. Focus groups and interviews were undertaken with staff and managers of residential services. Staff job descriptions were also collected from these services. Thematic content analysis was employed. Results: Three overarching themes were identified. The first two themes relate to organisational barriers to promoting health for individuals with ID. These themes focussed on highlighting how administration and routine tasks were prioritised over the promotion of regular physical activity and a healthy diet. The third theme relates to enablers or strategies for implementing health promotion activities. Conclusions: These findings have international implications on how organisations support people with ID to be more aligned with promoting health.They also highlight the need for organisational culture to facilitate knowledge translation and embrace evidence-based health promotion interventions.