Article

This descriptive study examined differences in health quality of life
(HQoL) and activity engagement in two groups of people with Parkinson's disease
(PD): those who regularly participated in classes offered by the community-based
program, Brooklyn Parkinson's Group (BPg), and a comparison group. Individuals in
the comparison group did not participate in any community-based programs for
people with PD, and were recruited from a clinic for PD and related disorders
(PDRD) in an urban medical center. METHOD: We enrolled 26 participants; 13
participants were recruited from BPg and 13 from PDRD Clinic. Activity engagement
was measured using the Activity Card Sort (ACS) and HQoL was measured using the
PD Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Additionally, each participant completed a brief,
interview-based questionnaire. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference
was found in ACS scores between the BPg and comparison groups. BPg participants
showed higher activity retention scores in all domains measured by the ACS. There
was no statistically significant difference in PDQ-39 scores. CONCLUSION: This
study provides preliminary evidence that regular participation in community
programs like BPg may increase retention rates of activity engagement in people
with PD. Participation in BPg programs, though, was not shown to improve HQoL as
measured by the PDQ-39. Implications for Rehabilitation Continued participation
in a wide repertoire of activities is a valuable rehabilitation goal for clients
with Parkinson's disease (PD). People with PD who participate in specially
designed community-based programs are more likely to retain a wide repertoire of
activity and role engagement, as compared to people with PD who do not have acess
to these programs.

Langue : ANGLAIS