Rheumatology patients' attitude regarding Ramadan and fasting

Fasting may lead to some problems in patients who have to use drugs on a regular and continuous basis. The objective of this study is to identify rheumatology patients' attitudes toward Ramadan and fasting.

The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 374 patients. The study data were collected using a questionnaire form. SPSS was used and percentage and Chi-square analyses were performed.

It was determined that 56.1% fasted during Ramadan. When asked about the effect of fasting on the disease, 88.4% of those who fasted answered "it had no effect", and 80.1% of those that did not fast said "it affected negatively" (P < .05). It was determined that 41.9% of the fasting patients did not visit the doctor during Ramadan, 52.9% continued using their drugs without any change, and 73.3% did not ask for information on fasting. The rate of patients who were informed by the doctor without any request for information was found to be only 9% (P < .05).

It was determined that more than half of the rheumatology patients fasted, the majority of these patients thought that it would not affect their disease, and the rate of request for information from the doctor was low. It is considered that a drug program could be prepared for fasting individuals who are willing to fast, in which drugs are taken between the İftar and Suhur times, and patients can safely fast without any additional risk to their disease.