Completed Projects Arthritis Basics for Change

Evaluation of an Arthritis Self-Management Program: Arthritis Basics for Change (ABCs)

Funding Number

U48/CCU715766 SIP 3-01

Project Description

Appropriate disease management is essential for persons with chronic conditions such as arthritis. The Arthritis Basics for Change (ABC) self-management program was developed as a self-study program for individuals who may not have access to more structured class-based programs. The ABC program had not been formally evaluated for effectiveness.

The purpose of this project was to develop a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the ABC program; determine the effectiveness of the program in changing knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, self-efficacy, and health outcomes related to arthritis and evaluate the appropriateness, usefulness, and readability of the program content and dissemination method. This evaluation would provide valuable information to the CDC Arthritis Program with regard to effectiveness of this specific self-management program, as well as inform future efforts to develop materials/programs for specific audiences and the best dissemination mechanisms for them.

Key Findings

• Most of the people in the population-based sample have had arthritis (or arthritis symptoms) for many years and were therefore already very knowledgeable about their condition. The materials should be targeted to newly diagnosed individuals or people just starting to experience symptoms of arthritis.
• Participants in the trial were very positive about the materials and the attention to studying arthritis, but didn’t actually use the program materials much and would not have been willing to purchase them.
• There were few significant changes in knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, self-efficacy, or health outcomes after receiving the ABC program materials.

Abstracts, Publications, Presentations

None at this time

Principal Investigator

Anjali Deshpande
Saint Louis University
(314) 977-4352 (phone)
deshpaad@slu.edu

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