Quality of Life Assessment by SF-36 among the Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Public Health
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by significant functional disability.
• This disability substantially diminishes the quality of life (QoL) for affected individuals.
• Assessing QoL is crucial for understanding the comprehensive impact of RA on patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• To identify factors associated with varying QoL levels among RA patients.
• To correlate disease activity measures with self-reported QoL outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional observational study involving 62 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
• Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using a validated Bengali version of the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) questionnaire.
• Disease activity was measured using the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS-28) and correlated with SF-36 scores.

Main Results:

• The mental health domain of the SF-36 showed the highest score, while the role-physical domain had the lowest.
• Factors such as male gender, literacy, and higher income were associated with better QoL.
• Prolonged disease duration, high disease activity (DAS-28), and irregular DMARD intake were linked to poorer QoL.
• A strong negative correlation (r = -0.803, p<0.001) was observed between SF-36 scores and DAS-28 scores.

Conclusions:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients experience a diminished quality of life (QoL) affecting both physical and mental health.
• The physical health component of QoL is predominantly impacted in RA patients.
• Disease activity, duration, and treatment adherence are key determinants of QoL in RA.