Long-Term Change and Predictors of Change in Physical and Mental Function after Rehabilitation: A Multi-Centre Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes and predictors of change in physical and mental function over a 3-year period after rehabilitation. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. PARTICIPANTS: Patients, across diseases, living in western Norway, accepted for somatic specialized interprofessional rehabilitation (n = 984). METHODS: Physical and mental function were assessed at admittance (baseline), and after 1 and 3 years using the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (SF-36). Associations between changes in SF-36 component summary scores and sense of coherence, pain, disease group (musculoskeletal, neoplasm, cardiovascular, neurological, other), exercise habits and demographic variables were analysed using linear mixed modelling. RESULTS: In the total group, mean (standard deviation) physical component summary scores improved by 2.9 (8.4) and 3.4 (9.3) points at 1 and 3 years, respectively. Mental component summary scores improved by 2.1 (9.7) and 1.6 (10.8) points. Improvement in physical component summary was significantly greater for patients with higher sense of coherence (b = 0.09, p = 0.001) and for the neoplasm disease group (b = 2.13, p = 0.046). Improvement in mental component summary was significantly greater for patients with low sense of coherence (b = -0.13, p = < 0.001) and higher level of education (b = 3.02, p = 0.0302). Interaction with age (physical component summary: b = 0.22, p = 0.039/mental component summary b = 0.51, p = 0.006) indicated larger effect at 1 year than at 3 years. CONCLUSION: Physical and mental function improved in the total study group over the 3-year period. Sense of coherence at baseline was associated with improved physical and mental function, suggesting that coping resources are important in rehabilitation.

The Danish version of Lymphoedema Functioning, Disability and Health Questionnaire (Lymph-ICF) for breast cancer survivors: Translation and cultural adaptation followed by validity and reliability testing.

PURPOSE: To translate and culturally adapt the Lymphoedema Functioning, Disability and Health Questionnaire (Lymph-ICF) for breast cancer survivors with arm lymphedema into Danish and examine its content validity and reliability. METHODS: (1) Translation and cultural adaptation was performed in 10 steps following international guidelines (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research); (2) cognitive interviewing (step 7) was conducted in 15 women with breast cancer related arm lymphedema to explore understandability, interpretation, and cultural relevance; (3) after adjustments, content validity (N = 52) was explored by interviews; and (4) reliability (N = 50) examined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) statistics and Cronbach alpha analysis. RESULTS: Cognitive interviewing lead to an adapted and improved version of the translated questionnaire. Content validity was supported. Internal consistency (α) for all questions was .98 and ranged for the different domains between 0.92 and 0.97. Test-retest reliability for the total score was highly satisfactory, ICC = 0.95, standard error of measurement (SEM) = 4.5 and smallest detectable change = 12.5. ICC values for the domains ranged from 0.84 to 0.94. SEM values differed for the domains, 6.4 (physical function), 5.7 (mobility activities), 7.09 (life and social activities), 9.1 (mental functions), and 10.2 (household activities). CONCLUSION: The translated and adjusted Lymph-ICF DK (Denmark) is reliable and valid, allowing for assessing self-reported impairments in function, activity limitations, and participation restrictions in Danish patients with breast cancer-related arm lymphedema.

Responsiveness to change of 10 physical tests used for patients with back pain.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the responsiveness of physical tests. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the responsiveness of 10 physical tests used for patients with back pain in order to illuminate the significance of changes in scores. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal designs within a prospective cohort study were applied. METHODS: Distribution-based and anchor-based methods were used. Ninety-eight patients (18-65 years of age) with long-lasting back pain were recruited consecutively at an outpatient spine clinic. Measurements The participants were assessed using 10 physical tests and 2 questionnaires (Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) at inclusion and after rehabilitation. Six predefined hypotheses for each test were examined regarding the association between changes in scores on the physical tests and the self-report measures of functioning and regarding the relationship of changes in scores on the physical tests and external anchors of important change. RESULTS: Five physical tests demonstrated responsiveness by both distribution-based and anchor-based methods: spondylometry, lateral flexion test, fingertip-to-floor test, lift test, and Back Performance Scale (4 hypotheses confirmed). The minimal important change values were all within the range of the smallest detectable change for individual patients. Responsiveness by distribution-based methods only (3 hypotheses confirmed) was shown for the Biering-Sørensen test and the loaded reach test, whereas little evidence of responsiveness (1 hypothesis confirmed) was shown for the Global Physiotherapy Examination flexibility subscale, the Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation, and the 15-m (50-ft) walk test. Limitations The smallest detectable change values were examined in a small sample of patients and need further exploration. CONCLUSIONS: Responsiveness varied among the 10 physical tests.

Relationships between demographic, clinical and pain variables and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain treated with instrumented fusion.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationships between demographic, clinical and pain variables and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients who had undergone instrumented spinal fusion because of chronic low back pain (CLBP). The sample comprises 101 patients (70% women, mean age 46 years) who had received surgery between 1993 and 2000. The SF-36 Health Survey was used to assess HRQOL. Pain was assessed by sensory, affective and evaluative subgroups of the Norwegian Pain Questionnaire (modified McGill Pain Questionnaire). Age, work status, number of years after surgery, physical training, other chronic conditions and affective and evaluative pain (all p < 0.05) were the most prominent factors affecting HRQOL. The highest adjusted R(2) to explain the variance was physical function (52%) and the lowest was emotional role limitations (15%). Pain, particularly affective and evaluative pain, contributed more to the explained variance of HRQOL than demographic and clinical variables.

Back Performance Scale for the assessment of mobility-related activities in people with back pain.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Activities that require mobility of the trunk are often limited in patients with back problems. For this study, 5 tests (Sock Test, Pick-up Test, Roll-up Test, Fingertip-to-Floor Test, and Lift Test), all requiring sagittal-plane mobility, were performed, and the test scores were combined by the authors in a scale called the Back Performance Scale (BPS) to obtain a performance measure of mobility-related activities. SUBJECTS: The participants were 288 patients with long-lasting musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: The basis for constructing a sum scale (BPS), discriminative ability, and responsiveness to important change of the BPS were examined in patients with back pain. RESULTS: Bivariate correlations (rs) of scores among tests ranged from.27 to.50, and correlations between separate tests and the BPS ranged from.63 to.73. The Cronbach alpha was.73. The BPS sum scores discriminated between patients with different return to work status and were higher for back pain than for other musculoskeletal pain. Responsiveness was high (effect size=1.33) in patients who had changed and low (effect size=0.31) in patients who had not changed, using return to work as an external indicator of important change. The BPS was more responsive than the separate tests. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The BPS appears to measure an aspect of physical performance that is of clinical importance to patients with back pain.