ARTHRITIS IMPAIRMENT;

Need assessment, designing and effectiveness of adaptive clothing for females

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore physical limitations and clothing problems among women with
Rheumatoid arthritis and designing functional clothing according to their needs. Design: This study is designed to be qualitative in nature,
where the researcher explores case studies of adult female with rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore qualitative methods were used, employing
data collection by in-depth interviews and observations. Period: The study was conducted in 2010- 2012 in Lahore. Material &
Methods: The present study gives a clear picture about clothing problems while donning and doffing, of adult females with rheumatoid
arthritis and the need for adaptive clothing. Research process comprised of assessing clothing needs, providing comfort while donning
and doffing through co-designing and evaluating comfort of an adaptive garment after wear trail of three weeks. The researcher did a
detailed thematic analysis using predetermined codes to aid analysis, of all the information gathered from three female participants of the
study. The researcher found what was missing in the clothing that the participants wore in their regular lives, and worked with them to find
out what they wanted in the adaptive clothing that provides them comfort. Results: The adaptive clothing was a successful mean to
satisfy the participant’s needs and preferences in a better way. It was also found that the co-designing of the final product was a very
effective means of doing so; adaptive clothing can offer arthritis women an easy, time saving and pain free way to dress.