Gunnel Sandqvist1, Anita Akesson, Mona Eklund. 1. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Occupational Therapy, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden. gunnel.sandqvist@med.lu.se
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated occupational performance, well-being (operationalized as general life satisfaction, domain-specific life satisfaction, and self-rated health), and perceived symptoms in women with limited scleroderma and healthy controls. METHODS: Interview-based and self-administered questionnaires were used with 36 women with limited scleroderma and 40 healthy women. RESULTS: In the scleroderma group, most of occupation problems were perceived in work and household chores. The women with scleroderma were mainly satisfied with self-care and least satisfied with household chores. Regarding domain-specific life satisfaction, the women were least satisfied with physical health and leisure. General life satisfaction showed the strongest relations to performance of self-defined occupations and satisfaction with leisure, whereas the strongest association with self-rated health was found for satisfaction with work. Fatigue was perceived as a dominant problem and was significantly associated with well-being. Furthermore, the women with scleroderma felt lower satisfaction with daily occupations and well-being than the healthy women. CONCLUSION: Loss of occupations, low satisfaction with leisure, perceived fatigue, shortness of breath, and pain indicated poorer well-being in women with scleroderma and need to be focused on in occupational therapy interventions.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated occupational performance, well-being (operationalized as general life satisfaction, domain-specific life satisfaction, and self-rated health), and perceived symptoms in women with limited scleroderma and healthy controls. METHODS: Interview-based and self-administered questionnaires were used with 36 women with limited scleroderma and 40 healthy women. RESULTS: In the scleroderma group, most of occupation problems were perceived in work and household chores. The women with scleroderma were mainly satisfied with self-care and least satisfied with household chores. Regarding domain-specific life satisfaction, the women were least satisfied with physical health and leisure. General life satisfaction showed the strongest relations to performance of self-defined occupations and satisfaction with leisure, whereas the strongest association with self-rated health was found for satisfaction with work. Fatigue was perceived as a dominant problem and was significantly associated with well-being. Furthermore, the women with scleroderma felt lower satisfaction with daily occupations and well-being than the healthy women. CONCLUSION: Loss of occupations, low satisfaction with leisure, perceived fatigue, shortness of breath, and pain indicated poorer well-being in women with scleroderma and need to be focused on in occupational therapy interventions.
Authors: Tanja A Stamm; Malin Mattsson; Carina Mihai; Juliane Stöcker; Alexa Binder; Bettina Bauernfeind; Georg Stummvoll; Gunvor Gard; Roger Hesselstrand; Gunnel Sandqvist; Oana Draghicescu; Ana Maria Gherghe; Malina Voicu; Klaus P Machold; Oliver Distler; Josef S Smolen; Carina Boström Journal: Ann Rheum Dis Date: 2011-06 Impact factor: 19.103