OBJECTIVE: To establish normative values for a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) of healthy working subjects. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: Rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy working subjects (N=701; 448 men, 253 women) between 20 and 60 years of age, working in more than 180 occupations. …

Regular physical activity is considered to be an important component of a healthy lifestyle that decreases the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, colon and breast cancer, obesity and other debilitating conditions. Physical activity can also improve functional capacity …

A wide variety of risk factors for the occurrence and prognostic factors for persistence of non-specific musculoskeletal pain (MSP) are mentioned in the literature. A systematic review of all these factors is not available. Thus a systematic review was conducted to evaluate MSP risk factors and prognostic …

BACKGROUND: Itching (pruritus) following burns is a well-known clinical problem. However, there are no long-term prospective studies that document the course and the extent of the problem. Studies on risk factors are anecdotal. OBJECTIVES: To study self-reported itching in a multicentre cohort among …

BACKGROUND: It is unclear if psycho-education on top of physical training is of additional value regarding quality of life in revascularised patients. DESIGN: Prospective randomised study comparing two types of cardiac rehabilitation: exercise based versus a more comprehensive approach including psychological …

BACKGROUND: The aims of the study were to examine the effects of a multidimensional rehabilitation program on cancer-related fatigue, to examine concurrent predictors of fatigue, and to investigate whether change in fatigue over time was associated with change in predictors. METHODS: SAMPLE: 72 cancer …

Objective: To determine the effects on energy expenditure, health and fitness outcomes in sedentary older adults aged 55-65 after 6-month participation in the GALM program. Methods: In three Dutch communities, subjects from matched neighbourhoods were assigned to an intervention (n = 79) or a waiting-list …

INTRODUCTION: A stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), although potentially life-saving, may cause considerable discomfort to patients. However, retrospective assessment of discomfort is difficult because recollection of stressful events may be impaired by sedation and severe illness during the ICU stay. …

Several studies have reported improved survival rates thanks to the use of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in the treatment of patients with life-threatening arrhythmia. However, the effects of the ICD on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of these patients are not clear. The aim …