Naslov
Quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - a preliminary study

Autori
Martinec, Renata ; Pinjatela, Renata ; Balen, Diana

Izvornik
Acta Clinica Croatica (0353-9466) 58 (2019), 1; 157-166

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
rheumatoid arthritis, quality of life, pain, functional ability

Sažetak
The most sever effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are chronic pain and loss of physical function that may have a major impact on different areas of person’s existence. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the quality of life in people with RA in connection with pain perception and functional ability. The following instruments were used: The World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL - BREF), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS Pain). The results indicated that there was no statistical difference between the quality of life in people with RA compared to the quality of life in healthy population according to SF-36 Croatian norms. Also, the results showed that a stronger pain experience was significantly associated with poorer social functioning assessment (SF36SF, Spearman’s rho=-0.463, p<0.05), poorer general health perception (SF36GH, Spearman’s rho=-0.432, p<0.05) and poorer physical functioning (WHOPH, Spearman’s rho =-0.688, p<0.01). Furthermore, it can be concluded that people who their general functional state evaluated worse, have worse physical functioning (SF36PF, Spearman’s rho =-0.699 and WHOPH, Spearman’s rho =-0.769), poorer social functioning (SF36SF, Spearman’s rho =-0.580) and experienced greater pain intensity (SF36BP, Spearman’s rho =-0.652). Therefore, further effort should be done focused on defining a holistic and integrative model of treatment and rehabilitation of people with RA directed to pain relief, improving functional ability, encouraging social interaction and supporting positive emotional responses.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Edukacijsko-rehabilitacijske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA