Integrating self-management and exercise for people living with arthritis.
The Program for Arthritis Control through Education and Exercise, PACE-Ex™, is an arthritis self-management program incorporating principles and practice of self-management, goal setting and warm water exercise. The purpose of this program review is to examine the impact of PACE-Ex on participants' self-efficacy for condition management, self-management behaviors, goal achievement levels and self-reported disability, pain and health status. A retrospective review was conducted on participants who completed PACE-Ex from 1998 to 2006. A total of 347 participants completed 24 PACE-Ex programs [mean age 69.9 (±12.2) years, living with arthritis mean of 14.1 (±13.2) years]. Participants showed statistically significant improvements in their self-efficacy to manage their condition (Program for Rheumatic Independent Self-Management Questionnaire) (P < 0.001) and performance of self-management behaviors (Self-Management Behavior Questionnaire) (P < 0.01). Self-reported health status, disability and pain levels improved post-program (P < 0.01) despite reporting statistically significant increase in the total swollen and tender joint counts (Health Assessment Questionnaire) (P < 0.05). Sixty-eight percent of participants achieved or exceeded their long-term goal as measured by Goal Attainment Scaling. These findings remain to be proven with a more rigorous method yet they suggest that PACE-Ex is a promising intervention that supports healthy living for individuals with arthritis.
Physiotherapy, Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M6A 2E1. amendelson@baycrest.org
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Mendelson
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McCullough
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Chan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors