Being active with Juvenile Arthritis!
Physical activity can be especially challenging for children living with juvenile arthritis. Learn more about how to find the right activity and encourage getting active!
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood affecting approximately 1 in 1000 Canadian children. Children and adolescents that have arthritis have to cope with swelling in their joints, pain, difficulty walking, going upstairs, using their hands and manipulating objects. These difficulties may interfere with age-appropriate daily activities such as playing with friends, doing their favorite sport and physical activity, getting dressed, both at home and at school. Sometimes, these difficulties last well into adulthood.
Overview For Parents
- Ask your child about their preferences in physical activity. Communicate these preferences to your health care team to find appropriate activities.
- Remind them that physical activity is important and can help their symptoms, even if being active may seem difficult at times.
- Encourage them to find activities they like and can practice on their own or with friends and family.
Overview For Clinicians
- Clinicians can encourage participation in physical activity by matching the child’s interests with age and symptom appropriate activities
- Closely monitor symptom alleviation or worsening of symptoms when practicing certain types of physical activity. Adapt or recommend new activities when needed.
Articles
How does adherence to medication and exercise impact children with juvenile arthritis?
Results of this study demonstrated that moderate adherence to medication was associated with a lower active joint count, while moderate adherence to exercise was associated with a better functional score and lower pain. Both high and moderate adherence to exercise were associated with a parental perception of global improvement.
Do children with Juvenile Arthritis and their parents agree about their quality of life?
Health-related quality of life is an important measure used to evaluate outcomes in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This study aimed to determine whether parents agreed with their children on their child’s perceived quality of life. A better understanding of the entire family’s perceptions may benefit the therapeutic relationship between the service provider and the patient, and more effectively address the concerns of children with disabilities and their families.
Does caregivers recall of JAI treatment match recommendations intended by medical teams?
Caregivers’ recall of treatment-adherence is critical in helping medical teams make clinical decisions for JAI. However, caregivers may believe they are adhering to treatment when in reality, their understanding of the recommendations are different than the ones intended by the medical team. In this study, the agreement between caregiver recall and prescribed treatment was calculated. Agreement for medication-related recommendations was substantial; however, agreement for exercise-related recommendations was slight to moderate. Health care providers need to make sure their patients understand treatment recommendations, particularly for exercise regimens.