ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Although research suggests that regular exercise can be helpful in reducing the dysfunction and discomfort of osteoarthritis, promoting exercise among older adults within this population is neither straightforward nor easily accomplished. This article describes the various methods, and their relative success rates, that were employed to recruit older adults throughout the state of Washington into an aquatic exercise program. METHODS: Strategies included a recruitment letter distributed to Arthritis Foundation (AF) members in Washington state, local media news coverage, physician referrals, and advertisements in local papers and newsletters. RESULTS: The most successful methods for enrolling participants were through the AF recruitment letters and local television coverage. The AF recruitment letter was the most expensive method of generating responses, while the television coverage was the least expensive. CONCLUSIONS: Collaborating with a well-reputed community-based organization and capitalizing on available publicity resources are important strategies researchers can use to gain access to a difficult and geographically dispersed population.
Subject(s)
Advertising/methods , Exercise Therapy/methods , Osteoarthritis/prevention & control , Patient Selection , Swimming , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Public Health , WashingtonABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare self-reported fatigue in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with age and sex matched healthy controls without RA and to determine the relationships of fatigue to pain, sleep, functional status, depressive symptoms, and disease activity. METHODS: A sample of 51 patients with RA and 46 age and sex matched controls without RA completed self-administered questionnaires 3 times at 6-8 week intervals. Questionnaires included the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue scale, Sleep Survey, Health Assessment Questionnaire, and the Profile of Mood States. Patients had blood drawn for hematocrit (Hct) and C-reactive protein on the same day the questionnaires were completed. RESULTS: Fatigue scores were significantly higher in persons with RA compared to healthy controls. Fatigue did not change significantly in either group over time. Fatigue was strongly associated with poor sleep, functional disability, greater pain, more depressive symptoms, and lower Hct. CONCLUSION: The importance of assessing fatigue in RA is confirmed. Effective management is needed to control clinical manifestations of RA that were found to be strongly associated with fatigue such as poor sleep, functional disability, pain, depressive symptoms, and lower Hct.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications , Fatigue/etiology , Adult , Affect , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/physiopathology , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pain , Reference Values , Self-Assessment , Sleep , Surveys and Questionnaires , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The purposes of this study were to describe the prevalence of fatigue, examine the association between fatigue and doctor visits, and identify correlates of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). On average, a high degree of fatigue was reported to occur every day, to remain constant during the course of a week, and to most often affect walking and household chores. When controlling for disease severity and insurance coverage, respondents who reported more fatigue made more visits to the rheumatologist than those reporting less fatigue. A regression model with fatigue as the dependent variable revealed that the following variables explained a significant amount of variance: pain rating, functional status, sleep quality, female gender, comorbid conditions, and duration of disease.
