Quality of life predictors for individuals with intellectual disability: Cross-sectional proxy-report data from a multicentre study

This research investigated quality of life (QoL) predictors in Spanish adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Individuals with high versus low-support intensity levels were compared. In this cross-sectional study, 396 participants were divided into two groups based on support intensity and their QoL was evaluated using validated proxy-report measures (INICO-FEAPS/San Martín). Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted for 19 variables (QoL predictors) relating to personal characteristics, support needs, and environment. Findings demonstrated distinct QoL predictors for the two groups: recorded intellectual disability etiology; mental health status; living environment, adaptive behaviour; and institutionalisation were significant for the low-support intensity group, while adaptive behaviour and behavioural disorders were significant for the high-support intensity group. Different variables affect QoL for low and high-support intensity groups and highlight potential benefits of personalised care based on individual dependency levels.