The purpose of this one group pre and post test study was to evaluate the effect of self-help programs(SHP) which has been conducted from 1997 to 2000.
The SHP was held by Korean Rheumatology Health Professionals Society(KRHP) once a week for 6 weeks for chronic arthritis patients in Korea. Eight hundred fifty five subjects completed the program at 43 sites. The effect of SHP were evaluated
by
flexibility, pain, activities of daily living(ADL), fatigue, depression and self-efficacy.
After SHP, followings were found:
1. Participants' characteristics of SHP were most common in living in Seoul, women, sixties, high school graduates, house wifes, osteoarthritis, completed in 1999.
2. The flexibility of arm, knee, ankle joint were significantly increased, but the flexibility of the shoulder was not changed.
3. Level of pain was decreased significantly from 5.21 to 3.99, and the number of painful joints were decreased from 4.96 to 4.18 significantly.
4. The score of ADL was increased from 53.74 to 54.97 significantly.
5. The score of depression and self-efficacy was not changed.
In conclusion, SHP was clearly proved to be an effective nursing intervention to increase the flexibility of arm, knee, ankle joint and enhanced ADL. Also SHP decreased pain and fatigue.
More research is needed to determine the role of self-efficacy and depression in the SHP, use of a randomized design and longer follow up period to understand more about the effects of the program.
|