College students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs face unique physical wellness challenges. However, the majority of scholarship highlights family and IPSE staff perspectives as opposed to centering student voices. This study explores the lived experiences of college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in developing and maintaining physical wellness. We used consensual qualitative research to explore physical wellness experiences gathered from semi-structured interviews of 14 college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in an IPSE program. Following CQR guidelines, we present four fully differentiated domains organized into development, maintenance, and mediating domains. We offer implications for educators, caregivers, and IPSE staff to better support wellness behaviors and address the interconnected challenges of being a college student and living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Fields et al. (Mon,) studied this question.