Zihinsel yetersiz bireylerin sağlık sorunları

Zihinsel yetersiz bireyler sağlık sorunları açısından riskli bir gruptur. Bunun nedenlerinden biri zihinsel yetersiz çocuklarda sağlık sorunlarının toplumun geneline göre daha fazla görülmesi, diğeri zihinsel yetersiz çocukların sağlık hizmetlerinden yeterince yararlanamamalarıdır. Araştırmalarda zihinsel yetersiz bireylerde beslenme sorunlarının sık görüldüğü belirlenmiştir. Beslenmeyle ilgili olarak düşük kilo, malnütrisyon, fazla kilo, pika, demir ve çinko eksikliği, emilim bozuklukları ve yeme bozuklukları görülebilmektedir. Motor yetersizlik ve hareket kısıtlılığı nedeniyle yetersiz aktivite sorunu sık yaşanmaktadır. Boşaltım alanında ise yetersiz sıvı alımı ve lifli gıdaların tüketilmemesine bağlı olarak konstipasyon sık görülmektedir. Diğer sorunlar; düzensiz uyku, kısa süreli uyku, gece uyanma, gündüz uykusuzluk gibi uyku sorunlarıdır. Görme-işitme kayıpları, epilepsi, motor yetersizlikler, Hepatit A, kötü ağız hijyeninin zihinsel yetersiz bireylerde toplumun geneline göre daha fazla görülmektedir. Zihinsel yetersiz bireylere yönelik sağlık hizmetlerinin sınırlı olması, toplumun geneline göre sağlık durumlarının daha kötü olması ve zihinsel yetersiz bireylerin sağlık hizmetini talep etmekte ve sağlık sorunlarını dile getirmekte güçlükleri olması nedenleriyle sağlığın korunması ve geliştirilmesi hizmetlerinden daha fazla yararlanmaları sağlanmalıdır.

Health problems of mentally disabled individuals

Mentally disabled individuals are at risk of health problems. In fact, health problems are more frequent in mentally disabled individuals than in the general population and mentally disabled individuals less frequently use health care facilities. It has been shown that mentally disabled individuals frequently have nutritional problems. They may suffer from low weight, malnutrition, high weight, pica, iron and zinc deficiencies and absorption and eating disorders. Activities can be limited due to motor disability and restricted movements. Depending on insufficient liquid intake and dietary fiber, constipation can be frequent. Another problem is sleep disorders such as irregular sleep hours, short sleep, waking up at night and daytime sleepiness. Visual-hearing losses, epilepsy, motor disability, hepatitis A infection and poor oral hygiene are more frequent in mentally disabled children than in the general population. The mentally disabled have limited health care facilities, poorer health status than the general population and difficulties in demanding for health care and expressing health problems. Therefore, they should be provided with more health promotion services.

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