Effects of aquatic exercise program versus on-land exercise program on cancer-related fatigue, neuropathy, activity and participation, quality of life, and return to work for cancer patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Exercise has shown positive effects on fatigue, exhaustion, neuropathy, and quality of life in cancer patients. While on-land exercises have been studied, the aquatic environment offers unique advantages. Water's density and viscosity provide resistance, enhancing muscle strength, while hydrostatic pressure improves venous return. This trial aims to investigate the effect of aquatic exercises on time to return to work, work hours, work-related difficulties, daily life activity and participation, quality of life, exhaustion, fatigue, and neuropathy among cancer patients, compared to on-land exercise intervention group and a non-exercise group. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial will include 150 cancer patients aged 18-65 years with stage III colon cancer or breast cancer patients with lymph node involvement. Participants in the aquatic exercise intervention group will undergo an 8-week, twice-weekly group-based Ai-Chi program, while the on-land exercise group will perform identical exercise. The control group will not engage in any exercise. The primary outcome will be assessed using an employment barriers questionnaire, capturing return to work date and working hours and daily life participation and activity and quality of life. Secondary outcomes include exhaustion, fatigue, and neuropathy. Data will be collected at baseline, post-intervention (8 weeks), and at 3,12, and 24 months. Mixed variance analyses will explore relationships among groups and over time for independent variables, with separate analyses for each dependent variable. DISCUSSION: The potential benefits include an earlier return to work for patients, reducing their need for social and economic support. The study's implications on socio-economic policies are noteworthy, as a successful intervention could offer a cost-effective and non-invasive solution, improving patients' quality of life and increasing their participation in daily activities. This, in turn, could lead to a faster return to work, contributing to both personal well-being and broader societal interests by reducing reliance on social services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05427344 (22 June 2022).

Disability after breast cancer surgery: Proposal of linkage between the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and the Grocery Shelving Task Test.

PURPOSE: To link the concepts measured by the Grocery Shelving Task Test (GST) to the codes and qualifiers of the activity and participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). METHODS: The linkage was performed by two professionals who applied the 10 standardized binding rules. The linking process was performed through the model of extraction and identification of the concepts that were found in each item of the GST Test. RESULTS: The GST test includes 1 domain of the activity and participation component (d4 mobility). The link with the qualifiers allowed quantifying the impairment of the limitations of activities in the postoperative period, being observed that 21.27% of the sample did not present any problem, 61.70% presented the qualifier "0.1" (mild problem), 8.50% had a moderate problem (qualifier '0.2') and 8.50% had a severe problem (qualifier '0.3'). No complete impairment was observed in any study participant. DISCUSSION: The linking of the GST to the ICF codes and qualifiers allowed quantifying the functional impairment in the postoperative period of breast cancer, allowing a comprehensive and standardized view, and being a guiding tool for treatment plans.

Change in rehabilitation needs and activity limitations over time of adults with acquired visual impairment following entry to a low vision rehabilitation service in England.

PURPOSE: Longitudinal changes in priority rehabilitation needs, vision-related activity limitation and importance of visual goals were evaluated in a sample of people with a visual impairment over a year following entry to low vision rehabilitation services in England. METHODS: Participants were adults with newly registered visual impairment within Leicestershire. Priority scores, indicating the level of rehabilitative need, were determined from the importance and difficulty scores of the 48 goals of the Participation and Activity Inventory (PAI). Rasch analysis of the difficulty and importance scores examined activity limitation and importance separately. PAI outcome measures were assessed on entry to rehabilitation services and at 4 and 12 months thereafter. RESULTS: Forty-eight participants (mean age 74.2, SD 14.1 years) completed three visits. Overall, there was a statistically significant reduction in the perceived need for rehabilitation over time (p < 0.001, ηp2  = 0.29), driven by reduced perceived difficulty (p < 0.001, ηp2  = 0.32) but stable importance (p = 0.73) of goals, with most change occurring between baseline and 4 months. PAI goals with greatest rehabilitative need at study entry were reading, mobility and writing, and these remained of highest priority over time. The greatest priority score decrease was for the goal 'Hobbies and crafts'. The largest decrease in importance was for 'Mobility outdoors', whereas 'Relationship with loved ones' increased most. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a decline in the perceived need for rehabilitation over the study period, there remains a need for continued support and intervention at 12 months following registration with rehabilitation services, particularly for the key goals of reading, writing and mobility. Early identification and support for individuals' important but difficult goals could prevent such goals being relinquished. Goals concerning relationships and communication became more important over time, indicating that re-evaluation of needs at follow-up is necessary to inform ongoing service provision.

Linking of concepts measured by SATIS-Stroke and the PM-Scale to the international classification of functioning, disability and health.

BACKGROUND: Rules have been developed to simplify the understanding of researchers/clinicians and standardize the linking process between concepts contained in the items on assessment measures and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). OBJECTIVE: Link the concepts of the SATISPART Stroke (SATIS-Stroke) and Participation Measurement Scale (PM-Scale) to ICF codes. METHODS: Linking was performed by two evaluators with experience in the ICF taxonomy who applied the ten standard linking rules specifically developed and updated for this purpose. The level of agreement between the evaluators was determined using the Kappa coefficient with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The SATIS-Stroke and PM-Scale address the nine domains of the ICF "Activities and Participation" component. Adequate agreement was found between the researchers during the linking process, mainly between the 1º and 3º evaluators. Identified 41 ICF codes were found among the SATIS-Stroke items and 24 ICF codes were found among the items of the PM-Scale. CONCLUSION: SATIS-Stroke addresses more issues regarding the domains of Learning and Applying Knowledge, Mobility, Self-Care, Domestic Life, and Major Life Areas, whereas the PM-Scale addresses more issues regarding the General Tasks and Demands, Communication, and Community, Social and Civic Life. Both instruments equally address issues related to Interpersonal Interactions and Relationships.

Linking of concepts measured by SATIS-Stroke and the PM-Scale to the international classification of functioning, disability and health / Linking of concepts measured by SATIS-Stroke and the PM-Scale to the international classification of functioning, disability and health

Background: Rules have been developed to simplify the understanding of researchers/clinicians and standardize the linking process between concepts contained in the items on assessment measures and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Objective: Link the concepts of the SATISPART Stroke (SATIS-Stroke) and Participation Measurement Scale (PM-Scale) to ICF codes. Methods: Linking was performed by two evaluators with experience in the ICF taxonomy who applied the ten standard linking rules specifically developed and updated for this purpose. The level of agreement between the evaluators was determined using the Kappa coefficient with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The SATIS-Stroke and PM-Scale address the nine domains of the ICF "Activities and Participation" component. Adequate agreement was found between the researchers during the linking process, mainly between the 1º and 3º evaluators...

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of a Nepali version of the Dutch Participation and Activity Inventory for Children and Youth (PAI - CY) with visual impairment.

BACKGROUND: Visual impairment is an important cause of disability in children. There is a lack of information on rehabilitation needs and low vision support services for children with visual impairment in Nepal. This is a pilot study designed to translate, culturally adapt and pre-test the Dutch version of the Participation and Activity Inventory for Children and Youth (PAI-CY) with visual impairment aged 7-17 years to develop a Nepali version. Questionnaires (PAI-CY versions for 7-12 and 13-17 years) were translated using standardized methods and were culturally adapted by a panel of experts. They were pretested to evaluate comprehensibility and relevance among six children with visual impairment and blindness. Finally, participants completed a questionnaire evaluation form. RESULTS: The translation and cultural adaptation process resulted in the adaptation of nine items to make them suitable for Nepali culture. Most children had comprehensibility problems with some specific items because of vocabulary, sentence structure and the composition of items. Most of the children were satisfied with the questionnaires. CONCLUSION: The study resulted in the development of a Nepali version of the PAI-CY. We worked with a small group of content experts and a small but representative sample of children which allowed us to use rigorous translation procedures to address language and cultural differences. A population based study has been planned to investigate the psychometric properties of these questionnaires.

Clinimetric properties of the SATIS-Stroke questionnaire in the Brazilian population: A satisfaction assessment measure addressing activities and participation after a stroke.

BACKGROUND: SATIS-Stroke questionnaire has been translated and adapted for use in the Brazilian population, however, it is necessary to test the measurement properties in Brazilian population. OBJECTIVE: To test the reliability, agreement, concurrent validity, and diagnostic accuracy of the SATIS-Stroke. METHODS: Chronic stroke survivors were included. The calculations were made using scores in logits (Rasch Model). Reliability was tested using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC), and Bland-Altman plots. Concurrent validity was analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. For such, the correlation between SATIS-Stroke and Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) questionnaires was determined. Diagnostic accuracy was estimated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with a 95% confidence interval and considering the sensitivity and specificity of SATIS-Stroke in differentiating different types of activity and participation. RESULTS: Eighty stroke survivors were analyzed. Mean age was 57.98±13.85 years and 45.2% had severe impairment. Excellent reliability was found (intra-observer ICC2,1 = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.93; inter-observer ICC2,1 = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.93). The Bland-Altman plot demonstrated satisfactory agreement. In the analysis of concurrent validity, a strong, positive, significant correlation was found between SATIS-Stroke and SS-QOL (rs = 0.74; p <0.001 with an r2=0.44; p=0.001). Diagnostic accuracy was satisfactory, with 80.8% sensitivity and 85.2% specificity. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian version of the SATIS-Stroke questionnaire exhibited adequate reliability, concurrent validity, and diagnostic accuracy. Therefore, this is a valid, reproducible measure for the assessment of satisfaction with regard to activities and participation following a stroke.

Profile of a national sample of Canadian children with participation and activity limitations.

Little is known about the nature of Canadian children with participation or activity limitations. Our objective was to profile a nationally representative sample of Canadian children with report of participation or activity limitation including identifying the major medical reasons attributed to these limitations and describe their sociodemographic and functional characteristics. We used data from the Canadian 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, a post-census Statistics Canada national survey of adults and children whose everyday activities were limited because of a condition or health problem. Data were collected by telephone interview of children's (<15 years) parents. A sample of those who answered 'yes' to the 2006 Canada Census disability filter questions was chosen for follow-up. Functional ability was assessed using the Health Utility Index. Mental health (26.1%) was the most common reason reported for participation and activity limitations followed by respiratory (9.8%), neurological (5.5%), and congenital (4.6%) conditions. Having a comorbid condition was associated with each major reason for limitation. Mental health, neurological, and congenital conditions showed the highest risk of functional limitation. In conclusion, mental health conditions and those with multiple conditions should be a primary focus for interventions aimed at reducing the impact of health conditions.

Feasibility of the Participation and Activity Inventory for Children and Youth (PAI-CY) and Young Adults (PAI-YA) with a visual impairment: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Having a visual impairment affects quality of life, daily functioning and participation. To assess rehabilitation needs of visually impaired children and young adults, the Participation and Activity Inventory for Children and Youth (PAI-CY) and Young Adults (PAI-YA) were developed. The PAI-CY comprises four questionnaires for different age categories: 0-2 years, 3-6 years, 7-12 years and 13-17 years. This pilot study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of the PAI-CY and PAI-YA, and the relevance of the content of the questionnaires. METHODS: In addition to the regular admission procedure, the PAI-CY and PAI-YA were completed by 30 participants (six per questionnaire). For the PAI-CY, parents completed the questionnaire online prior to admission. From age 7 years onwards, children completed the questionnaire face-to-face with a rehabilitation professional during the admission procedure. Young adults completed the PAI-YA online. Subsequently, participants and professionals administered an evaluation form. RESULTS: Overall, 85% of the parents rated all aspects of the PAI-CY neutral to positive, whereas 100% of all children and young adults were neutral to positive on all aspects, except for the duration to complete. The main criticism of professionals was that they were unable to identify actual rehabilitation needs using the questionnaires. Minor adjustments were recommended for the content of questions. CONCLUSIONS: Parents, children and young adults were mostly satisfied with the questionnaires, however, professionals suggested some changes. The adaptations made should improve satisfaction with content, clarification of questions, and satisfaction with the questionnaires in compiling a rehabilitation plan. Although face and content validity has been optimized, a larger field study is taking place to further develop and evaluate the questionnaires.