http://hdl.handle.net/10027/7315 Sat, 25 May 2013 09:29:11 GMT 2013-05-25T09:29:11Z http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8756 A Profile of Support Group Use and Need among Middle-aged and Older Adults with Multiple Sclerosis Finlayson, Marcia L.; Cho, Chi C. This study compared middle-aged and older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS, N = 1,275) according to their use of support groups and identified factors associated with perceived need. Over 64.6% (n = 824) of participants had attended a MS support group meeting at least once. Individuals who had never attended a group were more likely to reside in urban or suburban communities, report lower symptom interference, and fewer activity limitations. Women, individuals without a helper, and people with greater symptom interference were more likely to perceive a need for a support group. Findings raise questions for professionals involved in developing and implementing multiple sclerosis support groups Post print version of article may differ from published version. This is an electronic version of an article published in Finlayson, M. L. and C. C. Cho (2011). "A profile of support group use and need among middle-aged and older adults with multiple sclerosis." Journal of Gerontological Social Work. 54(5): 475-493. Journal of Gerontological is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/ DOI:10.1080/01634372.2011.575446 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 06:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8756 2011-01-01T06:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8287 Post-Infectious Fatigue in Adolescents: Does Physical Activity Make a Difference? Objectives: To compare adolescents who do and do not recover from acute infectious mononucleosis in terms of fatigue severity and activity levels before, during, and in the two years following infection. Design: Prospective case-control study. Setting: The baseline, 12- and 24-month evaluations occurred in the subjects’ homes. The six-month outpatient visit occurred at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Participants: 301 adolescents (12-18 years old) with acute infectious mononucleosis. Main Exposures: All participants were evaluated at baseline (during active infection). Six months following infection, 39 of them met criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome. These subjects were matched by sex and tanner stage to 39 randomly selected screened-negative subjects. Both groups were re-evaluated at 12- and 24-month follow-ups. Main Outcome Measures: The Fatigue Severity Scale and the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire. Results: For both groups, physical activity levels declined and sleep increased as a result of having mononucleosis. Compared with their matched controls, adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome reported significantly higher levels of fatigue at all time points and spent significantly more time sleeping during the day six- and 12- months following infection. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of physical activity levels before, during, and after infection. There was a consistent trend for decreased physical activity in the chronic fatigue syndrome group. Conclusions: Adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome appear to be pushing themselves in an attempt to maintain similar activity levels as their peers, but paying for it in terms of fatigue severity and an increased need for sleep, particularly during the day. Post print version of article may differ from published version. The definitive version is available through American Medical Association at DOI: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.144 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8287 2010-01-01T06:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10027/7357 Falls, aging, and disability Finlayson, Marcia L.; Peterson, Elizabeth W. Falls are a major public health problem, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality among older adults in the US. This paper summarizes and compares – (a) fall prevalence rates, (b) fall risk factors, (c) consequences of falls, and (d) current knowledge about fall prevention interventions - between community-dwelling older adults and people aging with physical disability. In this latter group, we focus on individuals with multiple sclerosis, late-effects polio, muscular dystrophies and spinal cord injuries. Post print version of article may differ from published version. The definitive version is available through Elsevier at DOI: 10.1016/j.pmr.2009.12.003 Sat, 01 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10027/7357 2010-05-01T05:00:00Z