Latent psychological distress existing behind a set of assessment measures is comparable to or more important than symptoms or disability in the association with quality of life and working status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the determinant of patients’ perspectives of quality of life (QOL) and working status out of analysis-derived components underlying a set of assessment measures of the status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: From the NinJa database in Japan (2012–2014), 1455 RA patients with DAS28 > 3.2 were recruited. Components explaining RA status were derived from principal component analysis of 15 assessment measures. Multivariate regression was used to examine the relative contribution of each identified component to the EuroQOL-5 Dimension Questionnaire score and working status.

Results: Among the identified components (patient symptoms, physical disability, evaluated symptoms, patient distress, inflammatory marker, and serological marker), patient distress showed highest contribution to EuroQOL for both male (44.6%) and female patients (39.3%). Physical disability was associated with significantly less participation in paid work in male (odds ratio [OR]; 0.63) and both household and paid work in female (OR; 0.82 and 0.54, respectively), though patient distress showed the strongest association with less participation in both household and paid work in female (OR; 0.64 and 0.45, respectively).

Conclusion: The approach to latent patient distress using psychological screening tools, concurrently with the treatment to control the activity of arthritis, can be help to improve health-related QOL (HRQOL) including work participation.

Keywords:

• Principal component analysis
• psychological distress
• quality of life
• rheumatoid arthritis
• working status

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the assistance provided by the clinicians who referred the patients to NinJa.

Conflict of interest

Shigeto Tohma was supported by research grants from eight pharmaceutical companies: Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Pfizer Japan Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and Teijin Pharma Limited. Shigeto Tohma received honoraria from Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Astellas Pharma Inc., AbbVie GK., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, and Pfizer Japan Inc. All other authors declare no competing financial interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by health science research grants from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan to Shigeto Tohma.