Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine the direct and indirect effects of physical, emotional,
and cognitive impairments on illness intrusiveness in people with multiple
sclerosis (MS). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional data set
collected in 2008 to identify sex differences in people living with MS. SETTING:
Three MS clinics. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample (N=189) of women and men
diagnosed with MS after 1995 were recruited and evaluated in 2008. INTERVENTIONS:
Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale (updated
version using Rasch analysis). RESULTS: Path analysis yielded a model that was
significant (nonnormed fit index, .9913; normed fit index, .9846) with adequate
fit of the data to the model (goodness of fit index, .9781; chi(2)=21.41;
P=.2084). The model explained 55% of the variance of illness intrusiveness. Only
emotional and physical aspects were represented in the model because no cognitive
impairment stayed after variable reduction. The model showed the complete
mediation effect of fatigue on the physical function variables. CONCLUSIONS: This
project brings new evidence toward 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.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS