Path to Illness Intrusiveness: What Symptoms Impact the Life of People Living with Multiple Sclerosis?

Publication date: Available online 15 April 2017
Source:Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Author(s): Vanessa Bouchard, Pierre Duquette, Nancy E. Mayo
ObjectiveTo determine the direct and indirect effects of physical, emotional, and cognitive impairments on illness intrusiveness in people with MS.DesignSecondary analysis of a cross sectional data set collected in 2008 to identify gender differences in people living with MS.SettingThree MS clinics in the Greater Montréal region, Canada.ParticipantsA random sample of 135 women and 48 men diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after 1995 recruited and evaluated in 2008.InterventionsNot applicableMain OutcomeIllness IntrusivenessMeasure(s)Illness intrusiveness rating scale (updated version using Rasch Analysis)ResultsPath analysis yielded a model that was significant (Non-normed fit index (NNFI):0.9913; Normed fit index (NFI):0.9846) with adequate fit of the data to the model (goodness of fit index: 0.9781; χ2: 21.41; p=0.2084). The model explained 55% of the variance of illness intrusiveness. Only emotional and physical aspects were represented in the model as no cognitive impairment stayed following variable reduction. The model showed the complete mediation effect of fatigue on the physical function variables.ConclusionsThis project brings new evidence towards the conceptualization of illness intrusiveness as a construct allowing future interventions that wish to target illness intrusiveness or disease impact to be designed. It also presented statistical evidence of the importance of treating fatigue not only as a symptom but also as a consequence of other impairments.



http://ift.tt/2oDv6RJ