Trajectories of Physical Function in Canadian Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors' conclusion
Most children with JIA in this cohort had mild to moderate functional impairments at diagnosis that resolved in one to two years, but one in three followed trajectories with mild persisting impairments.
Study context
- Population
- Children newly diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) enrolled in the Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators (CAPRI) Registry 2017–2024 with parent-reported Kids Disability Screen (KDS, 0–10) scores from ≥2 visits7,351 KDS scores
- Participants
- 940 children
- Outcome
- Trajectories of physical function (KDS, 0 = no disability to 10 = severe disability)
Methodological detailsregistry-based, latent class trajectory analysis, classification trees
- Registry-based
- Latent class trajectory analysis
- Classification trees
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
KDS trajectories (latent class trajectory analysis (LCTA), five trajectories)
Little measurable impairment
38%
Impairments resolving in one to two years (two trajectories)
24%
Persisting mild impairments (two trajectories)
38%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline KDS by JIA category
- Highest: RF-positive polyarthritis, mean (SD 3.1)
- 4.9
- Lowest: psoriatic arthritis, mean (SD 2.5)
- 2.4
- Mean scores improved within the first year in all JIA categories
Median time to KDS = 0
Weeks
- Overall median
- 36
- Systemic arthritis
- 13
- Undifferentiated arthritis
- 73
Baseline KDS ≥1.5 to detect persisting mild impairment trajectories
- Sensitivity
- 0.79
- Specificity
- 0.48
Original publication
Trajectories of Physical Function in Canadian Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 14 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →