[Quality of life and disease activity assessment in juvenile idiopathic arthritis]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Rheumatology
• Clinical Epidemiology
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a prevalent chronic rheumatological condition in children, characterized by unknown etiology and genetic heterogeneity.
• JIA presents as a multisystemic and dynamic pathophysiology requiring comprehensive management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the quality of life and disease activity among pediatric patients with JIA residing in urban, suburban, and rural environments.
• To identify potential geographical disparities in health outcomes for children with JIA.

Main Methods:

• A comparative, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted involving pediatric patients diagnosed with JIA.
• Data were collected using validated questionnaires, including the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire for Quality of Life and the Disease Activity Score-28.
• Pain and disease activity were assessed using facial pain and verbal numerical scales, with input from both patients and parents. Statistical analysis employed the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Main Results:

• The study included 42 JIA patients (mean age 12.7 years; 3:1 female predominance) from urban, suburban, and rural areas.
• While the polyarticular JIA type was more common in rural settings and pain levels were similar across regions, no statistically significant differences in illness activity or quality of life were observed between the geostatistical areas (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Patients diagnosed with JIA are typically older than eight years.
• A notable finding indicated that JIA patients residing in urban areas experienced a better quality of life compared to those in suburban and rural areas.