 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Jennie Lou, MD, MSc, Master of Public Health Program, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 S. University Dr. HPD 1578, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, 954-262-1619, jlou@nova.edu, Cathy Pierce, PhD, OTR/L, Department of Occupational Therapy, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 S. University Dr. HPD 1224, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, JoEllen Alveraz, RN, MPH, Palm Beach County Health Department, Palm Beach County Health Department, West Palm Beach, FL 33328, Patrick Hardigan, PhD, Allied Health, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 South University Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, and Sherrilene classen, PhD OTR/L, Department of Occupational therapy, University of Florida, College of Health Professions, PO Box 100164, Gainsville, FL 32610-0164.
Statement of the Problem:
Multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common demyelinating disease, significantly affects people’s quality of life. Traditionally, wellness programs are not implemented to populations with potentially disabling chronic disorders such as MS. The objective of this research study (Phase II) was to investigate the long-term (six months post intervention) effectiveness of an innovative wellness program on the general health and well-being, and quality of life in MS populations. The results from Phase I of this randomized controlled trial were presented at APHA 2002 conference. This abstract outlines the outcome from the follow up study, Phase II of the Life Enrichment Project.
Methods:
This randomized controlled trial compared the impact of a wellness program to a traditional rehabilitation and a social activity program. Outcome variables were measured by the Short Form–36 version 2 (SF-36v2) and the Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI), and by the Occupational Self-Assessment (OSA), A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted.
Results:
The wellness group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the mental composite score (MCS) of the SF-36v2 (p=.043). The wellness group also demonstrated a statistically significant positive difference in the environmental impact scale of the OSA over the traditional rehabilitation group (p=.098) and the social activity group (p=.035).
Conclusions: This pilot study supports the effectiveness of a wellness approach in improving coping skills and qualitative of life for populations with chronic disorders such as multiple sclerosis over the long term.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Outcomes Research, Well-Being
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.