Objective. To describe self-reported physical activity and physical fitness and to identify correlates of physical activity and general health perception. Methods. Data on self-reported physical activity, physical fitness, activity performance, and disease activity were collected from a sample of 298 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results. Forty-seven percent of our sample reported physical activity behaviors that did not comply with public health recommendations. A majority of the patients had decreased lower-limb muscle function (72%), grip force (94%), joint motion (94%), and functional balance (68%). Correlations between self-reported physical activity and other variables were r s ‫؍‬ 0.25 or less. Variation in general health perception was explained (total adjusted R 2 ‫؍‬ 0.65) by pain and activity performance. Conclusion. Our findings indicate that there is a case for recommendations on and support for healthy physical activity behaviors among people with RA.

No abstract

Objective. To revise the content of the Functional Index in myositis (FI) and to evaluate measurement properties of a revised FI. Methods. Previously performed FI (n ‫؍‬ 287) were analyzed for internal redundancy and consistency, and ceiling and floor effects. Content was evaluated and a preliminary revised FI was developed. To evaluate the construct validity of the preliminary revised FI, it was compared with isokinetic measurements of muscular strength and endurance, the Myositis Activities Profile, disease impact on general wellbeing, and creatine phosphokinase levels. Minor adjustments were made and the revised FI was investigated for interrater reliability and intrarater reliability over a 1-week period. After this, some minor, additional adjustments were made leading to the final version, FI-2. Results. Five tasks were removed from the original FI due to ceiling effects. Performance pace and number of repetitions were modified for the remaining tasks. A moderate correlation (r s ‫؍‬ 0.58) was found between the shoulder flexion task of the preliminary revised FI and isokinetic measurements of shoulder flexion endurance. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for interrater reliability of the revised FI varied from 0.86 -0.99 with no systematic differences. ICC for intrarater reliability varied from 0.56 -0.99 with systematic differences (P < 0.05) between test and retest in 3 of the tasks. The sit-up task was excluded due to low intrarater reliability resulting in the final 7-item FI-2. There was a good correlation between tasks on the right and left side suggesting that the FI-2 could be performed unilaterally. Conclusion. The FI-2 is a valid and reliable outcome measure of impairment for patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis. It is well tolerated and the unilateral FI-2 requires a maximum of 20 minutes to perform. Further evaluation of sensitivity to change and testing in healthy individuals needs to be conducted.

The aim of this study was to survey rheumatoid arthritis patients' conceptions of their management of everyday life. Interviews with nine female, functionally independent patients with rheumatoid arthritis (median age 46 years, median duration of symptoms 6 years) were analysed using a phenomenographic methodology. Uncertainty was a central theme of the thoughts of all nine patients. Conceptions of needs accentuated after the onset of the disease, and mediated by uncertainty, were categorised, as were conceptions of strategies/attitudes for satisfying the needs and/or reducing uncertainty. A theoretical framework is presented, and recommendations for physical therapy are made.

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of once-weekly, intensive dynamic training in water of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Thirty patients with RA, functional class II, in a training group (TG) and 30 in a comparison group (CG) were assessed with respect to clinical, radiological and functional disease manifestations and psychosocial consequences before and after a four-year training period. After the training period the TG patients had significantly better grip strength and higher activity level, the latter maintained at two-year follow-up. There were significantly more CG patient admittances for acute hospital care during the training period. No other differences between the groups were found. Dynamic training at an intensive tempo does not seem, even in a long perspective, to lead to any undesirable consequences.

Applicable and reliable assessment methods of clinical balance were identified for individuals with moderate and severe disability, whereas more discriminative tests need to be developed for those with limited disability.

Differences in physiotherapists' and patients' descriptions of characteristics of physiotherapy sessions have to be taken into consideration in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. In order to empower the patient to take a more active part in the rehabilitation process, there is a need to explore how to incorporate the patients' personal experiences and knowledge into the rehabilitation process.

The study was undertaken to investigate the test-retest stability and the criterion-related validity of a modified Swedish version of an exercise motivation index (EMI), and its use with individuals with rheumatic conditions, and with healthy individuals who exercised regularly. The EMI consists of 23 statements divided into three sub-scores for physical, psychological and social motivation. Ninety-five individuals with rheumatic conditions (mean age 60 years, mean symptom duration 15 years, 79% female) and 131 healthy individuals (mean age 52 years, 76% female), all attending exercise classes at least once a week, filled out the EMI. Sub-samples also filled out three visual analogue scales designed to measure physical, psychological and social exercise motivation, and filled out the EMI a second time one week later. The results indicated that psychological and physical exercise motivation was equally important in both samples. Social motivation was less important in both samples, but more pronounced in the rheumatic sample and among older individuals. In the rheumatic sample, physical motivation was more important among women and psychological motivation was more important among younger individuals. Test-retest stability for the EMI was satisfactory in both samples, while criterion-related validity was poor. The results of our preliminary investigation of the EMI suggest that the survey of physical, psychological and social motivation for exercise seems meaningful. Further work on the validity of the EMI is needed.