Health education needs of the Brazilian population with rheumatoid arthritis: mixed-methods cross-sectional study

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease that impacts quality of life and functionality. Its management involves pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies, including physical exercise and health education. Although patient education is essential, there is no consensus regarding the specific knowledge needs of individuals with RA. This study aimed to assess the health education needs of Brazilian individuals with RA using a mixed cross-sectional observational design and an online questionnaire. Adults over 18 years with a self-reported RA diagnosis were recruited via social media. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic data and information on educational needs. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using Microsoft Excel. A subgroup analysis explored the association between years since diagnosis and educational needs through Spearman's correlation and simple linear regression in SPSS, after confirming non-normal distribution (p < 0.05), with a significance level of 5%. Qualitative responses were analyzed using thematic content analysis based on Bardin's method, supported by Braun and Clarke's inductive approach. Results indicate that individuals with RA consider it important to understand basic disease information, biopsychosocial aspects, and topics such as diet, treatment options, patient rights, pain, and physical exercise. A very weak inverse correlation was observed between years since diagnosis and educational needs (ρ = -0.160; p = 0.027), while regression analysis showed no significant predictive effect (β = -0.108; p = 0.137), with low explanatory power (R² = 0.012). The study highlights the actual educational needs of this population and identifies often-overlooked topics, providing a foundation for developing tailored educational materials.