Strong relationships between disease activity, foot-related impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

CER912
2010 Vol.28, N°6
PI 0905, PF 0911
Paediatric Rheumatology

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PMID: 21122275 [PubMed]

Received: 15/02/2010
Accepted : 30/06/2010
In Press: 04/01/2011
Published: 04/01/2011

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To assess possible relationships between disease activity, foot-related impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
METHODS:
Thirty-four children were studied. Disease activity was assessed with the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score in 71 joints (JADAS-71). Foot-related impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions were measured with the Juvenile Arthritis Foot Disability Index (JAFI), the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ), self-reported or parent-reported and doctor-reported VAS scales. Relationships were quantified with Spearman`s correlation coefficient.
RESULTS:
The mean age was 12.4±3.7 years, the median disease duration 1.5 years (interquartile range (IQR) 1.0–4.0), 88% were girls, and 76% had polyarticular disease course. The median JADAS-71 score (range 0–101) was 6 (IQR 1–13). On the JAFI sub-scores (range 0–4) 88% of the children reported some foot-related impairments (median 1.1, IQR 0.4–2.0); 82% reported some foot-related activity limitations (median 0.9, IQR 0.3–2.0), and 65% reported some foot-related participation restrictions (median 0.6, IQR 0–2.1). The median CHAQ score was 0.9 (IQR 0.1–1.8). The JADAS-71 correlated with all impairment, activity limitation and participation restriction variables (r=0.48–0.81, p<0.01). Most of the impairment variables correlated with activity limitation (r=0.39, p<0.05 to r=0.92, p<0.01) and participation restriction variables (r=0.44, p<0.05 to r=0.81, p<0.01). All activity limitation variables correlated with participation restriction variables (r=0.62–0.84, p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS:
We observed strong relationships between disease activity, foot-related impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions in children with JIA, and therefore suggest that standard screening for foot problems should be included in follow-up care for JIA patients.