Department of Occupational Therapy Program Faculty Articles

Title

A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness of a Wellness Program on the Lives of People With Multiple Sclerosis [Poster Session Abstracts Erratum]

ISBN or ISSN

2168-6602

Publication Title

American Journal of Health Promotion

Volume

18

Issue

2

Publication Date / Copyright Date

11-1-2003

First Page

214

Last Page

214

Publisher

SAGE Publications, Inc.

DOI Number

10.4278/0890-1171-18.2.214

Abstract

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 was to investigate the long-term effectiveness of an innovative wellness program on the general health and well-being, and quality of life in MS populations.

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 = .093). The wellness group also demonstrated a statistically significant positive difference in the environmental impact scale of the OSA over the traditional rehabilitation group (p = .115) and the social activity group (p = .065).

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.

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

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