title: Community-based Spanish language arthritis education program: a randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine 4-month and 1-year health-related outcomes of a 6-week, lay-led, and community-based arthritis self-management program for Spanish-speaking participants and to determine the role of self-efficacy in predicting health status for this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and thirty one subjects were randomized to the program or to a 4-month wait list control group. One hundred ninety eight subjects continued in a 1-year longitudinal study. Data were collected via mailed questionnaires with telephone follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 4 months, treatment subjects, compared with controls, demonstrated positive changes in exercise, disability, pain, and self-efficacy (P < 0.05). At 1 year, compared with baseline, treatment subjects demonstrated improvements in exercise, general health, disability, pain, self-efficacy, and depression (P < 0.05). Baseline and 4-month changes in self-efficacy predicted health status at 1 year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spanish-speaking participants of an arthritis self-management program demonstrate short- and long-term benefits (improved health behaviors, health status, and self-efficacy).
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lorig
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ritter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001168:Arthritis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002140:California; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires