OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of education on the exercise habits of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after 6 and 12 months. METHODS: We studied 208 outpatients recruited between June 2001 and December 2002. This was a prospective controlled randomized trial. The active group received a multidisciplinary education program, including training in home-based exercises and guidelines for leisure physical activity (PA). The control group received a booklet added to usual medical care. Compliance with home-based exercises was defined as a practice rate >= 30% of the prescribed training. Compliance with leisure PA was defined as >= 20% increase in Baecke questionnaire score. Additional assessments involved possible predictors of compliance and changes with regard to the compliance. RESULTS: At 6-month followup, home-based exercise and leisure PA compliance were significantly higher (13.5% versus 1%, respectively (p = 0.001); and 28.2% versus 13.8% (p = 0.02)), but were not at 12 months. Predictors of leisure PA compliance at 6 months included participating in the active group (odds ratio 2.74, 95% CI 1.17 to 6.38) and previous low leisure PA (OR 6.01, 95% CI 2.47 to 14.61), with decreased fatigue (FACIT-F mean -2.94 +/- 8.04 versus -0.1 +/- 7.25 for noncompliant subjects; p = 0.04) and improved psychological status (Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale mean -1.25 +/- 3.12 versus 0.11 +/- 3.39; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Education of patients with RA may increase compliance especially with leisure PA, particularly when it is poor at baseline, but these effects are limited and short-term.

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