The Prevalence and Correlates of Disability in Singapore: Results from a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

Objective: The study aims to estimate the prevalence of disability and the association of disability with socio-demographic correlates and health outcomes among the Singapore population. Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a representative sample of Singapore’s population. Using the Washington Group’s questionnaire, disability was defined using both the ‘standard’ (a lot of difficulty or higher in one or more domains) and the ‘wider’ threshold (of ‘some’ or greater difficulty). Data on socio-demographic correlates, self-reported lifestyle, physical activity, chronic conditions, and health-related quality of life were also collected. Results: The prevalence of any disability using the standard threshold was 3.1% (95% CI: 2.4–4.1). When separated by disability type, mobility (1.8%) was the most prevalent, followed by vision (0.8%), cognition (0.5%), hearing (0.3%), and self-care (0.2). In the adjusted regression analysis, lower education and unemployed and economically inactive status (versus employed) were significantly associated with disability. Conclusions: Although this prevalence is lower than other countries, it is a significant finding in terms of actual numbers and impact at both the individual and the societal levels. Our findings also highlight the need to strengthen health services and preventive interventions targeting older adults and those who are physically inactive to reduce the burden of disability in these groups.

Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Siddha System of Medicine - A Case report

A case of Uthiravathasronitham (Rheumatoid arthritis) had been treated with a classical Siddha preparation Rasa chenduram (100mg) along with Thirikadugu choornam (1 gm) for 3 weeks and with Pinda thailam as an external application. The patient condition has been assessed by a validated simplified disease activity measurement tool for Rheumatoid arthritis by Disease activity score (DAS) with 28 joints and formula using Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as recommended by EULAR (European League against rheumatism) criteria. The functional status of the patient was evaluated by administering the Health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) and Visual analog scale (VAS) score before and after treatment. The treatment yielded moderate improvement in the patient’s health condition.

Prevalencia de Artrtitis Reumatoide en dos poblaciones originarias de Argentina. Estudio de base comunitaria: ¿“Dos caras de una misma moneda”?

La artritis reumatoide (AR) es una patología crónica que genera limitación funcional, impactando en la calidad de vida de los pacientes y de su entorno familiar. El objetivo de este estudio fue estimar la prevalencia de AR en las comunidades de pueblos originarios qom y wichi de la ciudad de Rosario y Misión Chaqueña (Salta); además de comparar las características entre ambas. Se realizó un estudio transversal, epidemiológico, de base comunitaria, utilizando la metodología Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD). Los individuos con dolor músculo—esquelético (casos positivos) fueron evaluados en forma consecutiva por médicos generales y referenciados dentro de la semana al reumatólogo para diagnóstico y eventual tratamiento. La prevalencia de AR fue de 3% (qom) y 3.2% (wichi). Las características de la AR fueron similares en ambas comunidades en relación a la actividad medida por Disease Activity Score—28 (DAS 28) (p 0,341) pero no en la limitación funcional medida por Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) (p 0,031). Existió un retraso promedio en el diagnóstico de 2 años. El 45% y 66% (p 0,100) de los pacientes qom y wichi tuvieron cambios radiográficos propios de una enfermedad avanzada. Más del 90% fueron seropositivos para factor reumatoideo y anticuerpos antipéptido citrulinado cíclico. El 42% y 29% (p 0,246) de los pacientes qom y wichi tenían antecedentes familiares de AR. Las prevalencias de AR en ambas comunidades fueron altas, con marcada agresividad de la enfermedad, así como impactante limitación funcional. El retraso en el diagnóstico es un factor fundamental para mejorar el pronóstico de esta patología.

Measuring physical function in psoriatic arthritis: comparing the Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire to the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index

Objective To compare physical function scales of the Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) to the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQDI) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and examine whether either questionnaire is less prone to ‘floor effects’. Methods Data were collected prospectively from 2018 to 2019 across three UK hospitals. All patients completed physical function scales within the MDHAQ and HAQDI in a single clinic visit. Agreement was assessed using medians and the Bland-Altman method. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess test-retest reliability. Results 210 patients completed the clinic visit; one withdrew consent thus 209 were analysed. 60.0% were male, with mean age of 51.7 years and median disease duration of 7 years. In clinic, median MDHAQ and HAQDI including/excluding aids scores were 0.30, 0.50 and 0.50 respectively. Although the median score for HAQDI is higher than MDHAQ, the difference between the two mostly lies within 1.96 standard deviations from the mean suggesting good agreement. The ICCs demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability for both HAQ questionnaires.Similar numbers of patients scored ‘0’ on the MDHAQ and HAQDI including/excluding aids (48, 47, and 49 respectively). Using a score of ≤0.5 as a cut-off for minor functional impairment, 23 patients had a MDHAQ ≤0.5 when their HAQDI including aids >0.5. Conversely, 4 patients had a MDHAQ > 0.5 when the HAQDI including aids ≤0.5. ConclusionBoth HAQ questionnaires appear to be similar in detecting floor effects in patients with PsA.

The Impact of Time Length to Boolean Remission for Tight Disease Activity Control After Acquisition in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Importance of time length to achieving clinical remission on disease activity control, daily activities (ADL) and quality of life (QOL) maintenance after the remission was investigated for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).In patients who achieved remission once or more, relationship between time length from initiation to achieve remission (TL) and patients’ background data at baseline, and relationship between TL and mean simplified disease activity score (SDAI), modified Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) score, pain score with visual analog scale (PS-VAS), Sharp/van der Heijde Score (SHS) and quality of life score (QOLS) at the first remission and thereafter were evaluated statistically. Patients were divided into two groups whether TL was within 6 months or longer (G≤6 and G>6). Change of the parameters and Boolean remission rate (BRR) after the first remission between the two groups were compared statistically.In 465 patients, TL correlated significantly with the SDAI score, the HAQ score, PS-VAS, SHS, and the QOLS after the remission. The SDAI score and the BRR after the first remission were significantly better in the G≤6 than in the G>6.TL is an important key to guarantee good disease activity control, ADL and QOL.

Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) use in modelling disease progression in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: an analysis from the EUSTAR database

Background Patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) have a poor prognosis. The importance of monitoring subjective measures of functioning and disability, such as the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), is important as dcSSc is rated by patients as worse than diabetes or hemodialysis for quality of life impairment. This European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database analysis was undertaken to examine the importance of impaired functionality in dcSSc prognosis. The primary objectives were to identify predictors of death and HAQ-DI score progression over 1 year. HAQ-DI score, major advanced organ involvement, and death rate were also used to develop a comprehensive model to predict lifetime dcSSc progression. Methods This was an observational, longitudinal study in patients with dcSSc registered in EUSTAR. Death and HAQ-DI scores were, respectively, analyzed by Cox regression and linear regression analyses in relation to baseline covariates. A microsimulation Markov model was developed to estimate/predict natural progression of dcSSc over a patient’s lifetime. Results The analysis included dcSSc patients with (N = 690) and without (N = 4132) HAQ-DI score assessments from the EUSTAR database. Baseline HAQ-DI score, corticosteroid treatment, and major advanced organ involvement were predictive of death on multivariable analysis; a 1-point increase in baseline HAQ-DI score multiplied the risk of death by 2.7 (p < 0.001) and multiple advanced major organ involvement multiplied the risk of death by 2.8 (p < 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that baseline modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) and baseline HAQ-DI score were associated with HAQ-DI score progression at 1 year (p < 0.05), but there was no association between baseline organ involvement and HAQ-DI score progression at 1 year. HAQ-DI score, major advanced organ involvement, and death were successfully used to model long-term disease progression in dcSSc. Conclusions HAQ-DI score and major advanced organ involvement were comparable predictors of mortality risk in dcSSc. Baseline mRSS and baseline HAQ-DI score were predictive of HAQ-DI score progression at 1 year, indicating a correlation between these endpoints in monitoring disease progression. It is hoped that this EUSTAR analysis may change physician perception about the importance of the HAQ-DI score in dcSSc.

Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) use in modelling disease progression in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: an analysis from the EUSTAR database

Background: Patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) have a poor prognosis. The importance of monitoring subjective measures of functioning and disability, such as the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), is important as dcSSc is rated by patients as worse than diabetes or hemodialysis for quality of life impairment. This European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database analysis was undertaken to examine the importance of impaired functionality in dcSSc prognosis. The primary objectives were to identify predictors of death and HAQ-DI score progression over 1 year. HAQ-DI score, major advanced organ involvement, and death rate were also used to develop a comprehensive model to predict lifetime dcSSc progression. Methods: This was an observational, longitudinal study in patients with dcSSc registered in EUSTAR. Death and HAQ-DI scores were, respectively, analyzed by Cox regression and linear regression analyses in relation to baseline covariates. A microsimulation Markov model was developed to estimate/predict natural progression of dcSSc over a patient’s lifetime.Results: The analysis included dcSSc patients with (N = 690) and without (N = 4132) HAQ-DI score assessments from the EUSTAR database. Baseline HAQ-DI score, corticosteroid treatment and major advanced organ involvement were predictive of death on multivariable analysis; a 1-point increase in baseline HAQ-DI score multiplied the risk of death by 2.7 (p < 0.001) and multiple advanced major organ involvement multiplied the risk of death by 2.8 (p < 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that baseline modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) and baseline HAQ-DI score were associated with HAQ-DI score progression at 1 year (p < 0.05), but there was no association between baseline organ involvement and HAQ-DI score progression at 1 year. HAQ-DI score, major advanced organ involvement, and death were successfully used to model long-term disease progression in dcSSc.Conclusions: HAQ-DI score and major advanced organ involvement were comparable predictors of mortality risk in dcSSc. Baseline mRSS and baseline HAQ-DI score were predictive of HAQ-DI score progression at 1 year, indicating a correlation between these endpoints in monitoring disease progression. It is hoped that this EUSTAR analysis may change physician perception about the importance of the HAQ-DI score in dcSSc.

Omalgia crónica e associação com incapacidade funcional e ansiedade/depressão: a realidade de cinco Unidades de Saúde Familiar da Área Metropolitana do Porto

Objetivos: Estimar a prevalência da omalgia crónica na população de cinco Unidades de Saúde Familiar (USF), descrever as suas características semiológicas e as características sociodemográficas desta população. Secundariamente pretende-se avaliar e quantificar a associação entre omalgia crónica e incapacidade funcional, características sociodemográficas e a perturbação ansiosa/depressiva. Tipo de estudo: Observacional, transversal, analítico. Local: Cinco USF da Área Metropolitana do Porto. População: Calculou-se uma amostra de 1.718 utentes entre os 18 e 64 anos, que se deslocaram às cinco USF durante o estudo. Métodos: Aplicou-se um questionário de recolha de variáveis sociodemográficas e sobre omalgia crónica e duas escalas validadas para a população Portuguesa: Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index e Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Testou-se a associação entre omalgia crónica, incapacidade funcional e ansiedade/depressão através do modelo de regressão logística multinomial. Resultados: A prevalência estimada de omalgia crónica foi de 29,6%, intervalo de confiança de 95% 27,4-31,8. Em 57,8% dos utentes a dor era diária, 70,7% tinha dor moderada a intensa e 41,1% encontrava-se pouco ou nada satisfeito com o tratamento. Verificou-se uma associação entre a existência e localização da dor com o estado emocional, género, estado civil, escolaridade, reforma e reforma por invalidez (p<0,001). Nos indivíduos com omalgia crónica, as mulheres, divorciados e viúvos, com baixa escolaridade, reformados por invalidez e com ansiedade/depressão apresentaram uma proporção superior. Constatou-se a existência de um aumento do odds ratio (OR) de omalgia crónica com o aumento do grau de incapacidade, da ansiedade, da idade e com a baixa escolaridade (inferior ou igual a nove anos). Conclusões: Apesar de prevista uma prevalência de omalgia crónica em Portugal de 4,4% com base em dados bibliográficos, a prevalência encontrada neste estudo foi aproximadamente sete vezes superior à esperada. Verificou-se uma associação da omalgia crónica com o grau de incapacidade e a ansiedade, o que vai de encontro ao debatido na literatura. O presente estudo mostra uma necessidade urgente de intervir eficazmente no controlo da omalgia crónica.