Patient Education and Counseling
Volume 81, Issue 1 , Pages 73-78, October 2010

The role of helplessness, outcome expectation for exercise and literacy in predicting disability and symptoms in older adults with arthritis

  • Anita A. Bhat

      Affiliations

    • Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Department of Health Informatics, Medical College of Georgia, 1120 15th Street, EB 1011, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. Tel.: +1 706 721 2133; fax: +1 706 721 6067.
    • ,
  • Darren A. DeWalt

      Affiliations

    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
    • ,
  • Catherine R. Zimmer

      Affiliations

    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
    • ,
  • Bruce J. Fried

      Affiliations

    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
    • ,
  • Leigh F. Callahan

      Affiliations

    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Received 18 May 2009; received in revised form 2 December 2009; accepted 5 December 2009. published online 08 January 2010.

Abstract 

Objective

To examine the effect of outcome expectation for exercise (OEE), helplessness, and literacy on arthritis outcomes in 2 community-based lifestyle randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in urban and rural communities with older adults with arthritis.

Methods

Data from 391 participants in 2 RCTs were combined to examine associations of 2 psychosocial variables: helplessness and OEE, and literacy with arthritis outcomes. Arthritis outcomes namely, the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and arthritis symptoms pain, fatigue and stiffness Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), were measured at baseline and at the end of the interventions. Complete baseline and post-intervention data were analyzed using STATA version 9.

Results

Disability after intervention was not predicted by helplessness, literacy, or OEE in the adjusted model. Arthritis symptoms after the intervention were all significantly predicted by helplessness at various magnitudes in adjusted models, but OEE and literacy were not significant predictors.

Conclusion

When literacy, helplessness, and OEE were examined as predictors of arthritis outcomes in intervention trials, they did not predict disability. However, helplessness predicted symptoms of pain, fatigue, and stiffness, but literacy did not predict symptoms.

Practice implications

Future sustainable interventions may include self-management components that address decreasing helplessness to improve arthritis outcomes.

Keywords: Helplessness, Outcome expectation for exercise, Literacy, Arthritis outcomes

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S0738-3991(09)00603-X

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2009.12.004

Patient Education and Counseling
Volume 81, Issue 1 , Pages 73-78, October 2010

Article Tools