Medicine (Austin & Northern Health) - Theses
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ItemThe physical function of the elderly with rheumatoid arthritis( 1997)This thesis contains a body of work concerned with the physical function of the elderly with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Chapter 2 reviews the relevant literature including that concerned with functional status measurement, functional outcome in RA and RA in the elderly. Chapter 3 describes a study validating the adapted Barthel Index - which is commonly used to measure personal care and mobility activities of daily living (ADL) - in a self-report format. This study was performed on a sample of geriatric day hospital attendees in Edinburgh, Scotland. Chapter 4 outlines the methods used in the main study describing the physical function of the elderly with RA (ER), as compared with that in younger people with the disease (YR) and elderly unaffected control subjects (EC). This study was also conducted in Edinburgh, between 1988 and 1989. Physical functional performance and capacity were measured using the adapted Barthel Index in its previously validated self-report format. Chapter 5 presents the results of the main study, and Chapter 6 discusses these results and a number of other important issues relating to study methodology, general health status, unmet needs and physical function. The main research objectives of this thesis were to determine: 1.the level of physical functioning of older people with RA, in terms of self-care, mobility and instrumental activities of daily living, 2.if age or the rheumatoid process has a greater influence in determining physical functional outcome in older people with RA, 3.whether older people with RA are able to perform physically at, or near their level of functional capacity, and if not why, 4.the main determinants of physical functional performance, in terms of medical, social and psychological health status measures, and if they differ in older and younger people with RA.