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Spanish Arthritis Empowerment Program: a dissemination and effectiveness study.
Andrew L Wong1, Judith O Harker, Victoria P Lau
1Olive View-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Sylmar, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, USA. alinwong@ucla.edu
Arthritis and Rheumatism
|June 10, 2004
Summary
The Spanish Arthritis Empowerment Program significantly improved arthritis symptoms and self-efficacy in participants. These positive outcomes in managing arthritis were sustained at six-month follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Education
- Chronic Disease Management
Background:
- The Arthritis Foundation's Spanish Arthritis Empowerment Program aimed to address the needs of Spanish-speaking individuals with arthritis.
- Effective health interventions are crucial for diverse populations facing chronic conditions like arthritis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Spanish Arthritis Empowerment Program.
- To assess the program's impact on arthritis management and patient outcomes in Orange County, California.
Main Methods:
- 141 participants with arthritis enrolled between October 1999 and May 2001.
- Program materials were entirely in Spanish.
- Pretest, 6-week, and 6-month follow-up assessments measured pain, joint counts, function (mHAQ), self-efficacy, self-care behavior, and knowledge.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed from pretest to 6-month follow-up in pain, self-efficacy, self-care behavior, arthritis knowledge, and general health (P < 0.001).
- A small but significant improvement was noted in the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ) scores (P = 0.024).
- The majority of participants were female (92%), born in Mexico (84%), and had limited formal education (55% with sixth grade or less).
Conclusions:
- The Spanish Arthritis Empowerment Program demonstrated successful dissemination and effectiveness.
- The program led to sustained improvements in self-efficacy and arthritis symptoms at six-month follow-up.