The Effects of the Resistance Exercise Program on the Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient's Functional Disability, Biochemical Parameters, Self-Efficacy and Family Support

Kil, Suk Yong

Abstract

This Research is an attempt to ind out what effects the resistance exercise program has on the rheumatoid arthritis patient's functional disability and biochemical parameters. The research took place from June to November 1996, and the target included an experimental group of 25 cases of rheumatoid arthritis and a control group of 26 cases of rheumatoid arthritis taken from the Anam Medical Center at Korea University. The resistance exercise program was executed on these patients five times a week during a period of eight weeks. Before and after the experiments, measurements of functional disability score, ESR, CRP, self-efficacy, and family support were taken and closely analyzed. The results of this analysis are as follows : 1. After the experiment, the experimental group had less functional disabilities compared to the control group(t=9.11, P=0.0017). 2. After the experiment, the ESR of both the experimental and the control groups decrease, but there was not notable difference between the two groups(t=0.07, P=0.9546). 3. After the experiment, the CRP of both the experimental and the control groups decreased, with no significant different between them(t=0.53, P=0.6022). 4. After the experiment, the self-efficacy of the experimental group increased significantly compared to the control group(t=3.15, P=0.0042), but the self-efficacy had no effect on the actual practice of the program. 5. After the experiment, the family support of the experimental group was higher than of the control group(t=6.33, P=0.0013), but again the family support had no effect on the actual practice of the program. Judging from the results of these experiments, the resistance exercise program not only diminishes rheumatoid arthritis patients' functional disabilities, but also has a great influence on increasing their self-efficacy and family support. Concluding, indiminishing the functional disabilities of rheumatoid arthritis, the resistance exercise program would be appropriate nursing intervention.