title: Self-management strategies in overweight and obese Canadians with arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obese Canadians with arthritis and to describe their use of arthritis self-management strategies, as well as explore the factors associated with not engaging in any self-management strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents to the 2009 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada, a nationally representative sample of 4,565 Canadians age ≥20 years reporting health professional-diagnosed arthritis (including more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions), were asked about the impact of their arthritis and how it was managed. Among the overweight (body mass index [BMI] 25-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m(2)) individuals with arthritis (n = 2,869), the use of arthritis self-management strategies (i.e., exercise, weight control/loss, classes, and community-based programs) were analyzed. Log binomial regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with engaging in none versus any (≥1) of the 4 strategies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than one-quarter (27.4%) of Canadians with arthritis were obese and an additional 39.9% were overweight. The overweight and obese individuals with arthritis were mostly female (59.5%), age ≥45 years (89.7%), and reported postsecondary education (69.0%). While most reported engagement in at least 1 self-management strategy (84.9%), less than half (45.6%) engaged in both weight control/loss and exercise. Factors independently associated with not engaging in any self-management strategies included lower education, not taking medications for arthritis, and no clinical recommendations from a health professional.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fewer than half of the overweight and obese Canadians with arthritis engaged in both weight control/loss and exercise. The provision of targeted clinical recommendations (particularly low in individuals that did not engage in any self-management strategies) may help to facilitate participation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. sasha.bernatsky@mail.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernatsky
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rusu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hawker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canizares
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Badley
mesh_terms: D001168:Arthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001835:Body Weight; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D012648:Self Care; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology