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Abstract Background To tailor physical activity treatment programs for patients with osteoarthritis, clinicians need valid and feasible measurement tools to evaluate habitual physical activity. The widely used International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) is not previously validated in patients with osteoarthritis. Purpose To assess the concurrent criterion validity of the IPAQ-SF in patients with osteoarthritis, using an accelerometer as a criterion-method. Method Patients with osteoarthritis (n = 115) were recruited at The Division of Rheumatology and Research at Diakonhjemmet Hospital (Oslo, Norway). Physical activity was measured by patients wearing an accelerometer (ActiGraph wGT3X-BT) for seven consecutive days, followed by reporting their physical activity for the past 7 days using the IPAQ-SF. Comparison of proportions that fulfilled physical activity recommendations as measured by the two methods were tested by Pearson Chi-Square analysis. Differences in physical activity levels between the IPAQ-SF and the accelerometer were analyzed with Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and Spearman rank correlation test. Bland-Altman plots were used to visualize the concurrent criterion validity for total- and intensity-specific physical activity levels. Results In total, 93 patients provided complete physical activity data, mean (SD) age was 65 (8.7) years, 87% were women. According to the IPAQ-SF, 57% of the patients fulfilled the minimum physical activity recommendations compared to 31% according to the accelerometer (p = 0.043). When comparing the IPAQ-SF to the accelerometer we found significant under-reporting of total physical activity MET-minutes (p =

Quality indicators are indirect measures of quality within an area. The development of quality indicators is based on transparent and systematic methods where professional as well as value-based considerations are combined. It is recommended to use a formalized consensus process; the RAND/UCLA method. The aim is that final indicators are assessed according to relevance, utility, evidence and feasibility. Quality indicators may be useful tools when describing and evaluating quality in physiotherapy care to different patients groups. It is required that both patients and physiotherapists participate in all stages of the development process, in order to secure legitimacy. The article describes the different stages in a developmental process. The preparation of quality indicators for physiotherapy to patients with spondyloarthritis is used as an illustration.

Physiotherapists are imposed to deliver proper physiotherapy and to keep professionally updated. However, a majority of physiotherapists treat patients with a variety of diagnoses and conditions, of all ages and with many different needs. Thus, keeping updated in all areas is challenging. In this context knowledge-based clinical guidelines may be effective in guiding the individual clinician. The purpose of a knowledge-based clinical guideline is to ensure clinical practice according to best available research, clinical judgment and patient preferences. Strict requirements for methodical accuracy and transparency are laid on the development of a knowledge-based clinical guideline. In this article the different stages in a development process are described. The development of a clinical guideline; «Spondyloarthritis and physiotherapy» is used as an illustration of a development process.

Objective The present study assessed the prevalence of depressive disorders and associated factors in a sample of elderly persons in the south of Santa Catarina. Methods A cross-sectional study based on population data was performed, evaluating 1021 elderly individuals aged between 60 and 79 years. Home interviews were carried out using the Portuguese version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), in order to collect demographic data, information on hypertension and reports of acute myocardial infarction. The disorders studied were current depressive episode, dysthymia and a comorbidity of a depressive episode and dysthymia, representing double depression. The comparison of mean age and prevalence was made with the t-test and other associations were analyzed using the Chi-squared test. Results The prevalence of depression was 26.2%, while 5.5% of the sample suffered from dysthymia and 2.7% experienced double depression. Risk factors for depression were: nine or more years of schooling [PR = 1.44 (1.17 to 1.77); p