Preventing Chronic Disease | Impact of the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease Program on Arthritis Symptoms in African Americans - CDC

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Preventing Chronic Disease | Impact of the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease Program on Arthritis Symptoms in African Americans - CDC

Impact of the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease Program on Arthritis Symptoms in African Americans

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• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Acknowledgments
• Author Information
• References
• Tables

Brooke Wyatt, MPH; Chivon A. Mingo, PhD; Mary B. Waterman, MPH; Patience White, MD, MA; Rebecca J. Cleveland, PhD; Leigh F. Callahan, PhD

Suggested citation for this article: Wyatt B, Mingo CA, Waterman MB, White P, Cleveland RJ, Callahan LF. Impact of the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease Program on Arthritis Symptoms in African Americans. Prev Chronic Dis 2014;11:140147. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.140147.

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Abstract

Introduction
Inadequate program design and lack of access to evidence-based programs are major barriers to the management of chronic diseases such as arthritis, particularly for African Americans. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease Program (WWE) in a subsample of African Americans who were part of a larger study that established evidence of the program’s efficacy.

Methods
Participants were African Americans (N = 117) with self-reported arthritis who chose to participate in either a self-directed (n = 68) or group (n = 49) 6-week WWE program. Arthritis-related symptoms (ie, pain, fatigue, stiffness; measured using visual analog scales) were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 1 year. Independent samples t tests were conducted to examine group differences (ie, self-directed vs group) in arthritis-related symptoms at baseline, and paired sample t tests were conducted to examine differences over time (ie, baseline to 6 weeks and baseline to 1 year) in symptoms. Satisfaction was examined by descriptive statistics.

Results
Younger, more educated individuals chose the self-directed format (P < .001, P = .008; respectively). After the 6-week intervention, participants reported a decrease in pain (P < .001), fatigue (P = .002), and stiffness (P < .001). At 1 year, the decrease in pain (P = .04) and stiffness (P = .002) remained constant. Overall, participants were satisfied with both program formats.

Conclusion
The individualized and group formats of the WWE program improved arthritis-related pain, fatigue, and stiffness in African Americans. Culturally appealing arthritis interventions ultimately may increase the use of existing arthritis interventions.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a cooperative agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of American Medical Colleges (MM-0975-07/07) and in part by the National Institute on Aging Training Grant T32-AG000272.

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Author Information

Corresponding Author: Dr L. F. Callahan, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Thurston Arthritis Research Center, 3300 Thurston Bldg, CB#7280, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7280. Telephone: 919-966-0564. E-mail: leigh_callahan@med.unc.edu.

Author Affiliations: Brooke Wyatt, George Washington University School of Public Health, Public Health Department, The Arthritis Foundation, Washington, DC; Chivon A. Mingo, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia; Mary B. Waterman, Patience White, Public Health Department, The Arthritis Foundation, Washington, DC; Rebecca J. Cleveland, Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Leigh F. Callahan, Thurston Arthritis Research Center, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

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