Julie Barlow
`Instilling the strength to fight the pain and get on with life': learning to become an arthritis self-manager through an adult education programme
Coventry University
aim study determine whether arthritis selfmanagement programme asmp effective promoting perceived control selfmanagement ability delivered adult education setting study pretestposttest design based sample 89 people attending asmp data collected selfadministered questionnaires prior intervention intervention 4 months baseline sample comprised 80 women mean age 57 years mean disease duration 13 years participants either osteoarthritis rheumatoid arthritis 4 months participants demonstrated significant increases arthritis selfefficacy p 00005 cognitive symptom management p 00005 communication doctors p 0018 exercise p 0003 relaxation p 000005 addition significant decreases found terms pain p 0034 visits health professionals p 0004 first evaluation asmp delivered within context adult education suggests form community health education programme offer substantial benefits participants particularly terms perceived ability control various aspects arthritis greater utilization cognitivebehavioural techniques