Educational needs in people with ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis: a cross-sectional study

To assess the educational needs of people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), test differences across patient subgroups and identify factors independently associated with their educational needs.

This was a cross-sectional analytic study. Patients with AS and PsA completed the Portuguese version of the Educational Needs Assessment Tool (PortENAT). Data were Rasch-transformed before descriptive and inferential analyses were undertaken. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to determine differences between patient subgroups and factors independently associated with their educational needs.

The study included 121 patients with AS and 132 with PsA. The level of educational needs varied by diagnostic group, but higher needs for both subgroups were reported regarding the "Disease process", "Feelings" and "Managing pain" domains. Overall, patients with AS had a higher level of educational needs than those with PsA. In both diagnostic groups, female gender was independently associated with higher educational needs. In the PsA group, a shorter disease duration was independently associated with higher educational needs in the following domains: "Managing pain", "Movement" and "Feelings".

Educational needs vary by diagnostic group, gender and disease duration. These differences merit consideration in the design of patient education interventions.