Evaluation of quality of life in chronic, progressing rheumatic diseases based on the example of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Figures & data

Table 1 General list of socio-demographic variables and evaluation of quality of life among patients with OA and RA

Variables studied (score range)	Rheumatic disease
	OA	RA
Age (years)	59.16±15.87	55.22±14.87
Duration of illness (years)	5.5±4.32	6.8±5.21
Gender – number of females (%)	110 (55.6)	70 (70.0)
Educational background
Basic/professional – number (%)	100 (50.5)	48 (46.4)
Secondary – number (%)	61 (30.8)	34 (30.1)
Higher – number (%)	37 (18.7)	18 (23.5)
Place of residence
City – number (%)	122 (61.6)	63 (60.8)
Village – number (%)	76 (38.4)	37 (36.5)
Occupational status
Annuity/pension – number (%)	138 (70.1)	59 (56.9)
Working – number (%)	55 (27.9)	25 (43.1)
Family status
Married – number (%)	147 (74.2)	54.4 (53.1)
Widowed – number (%)	43 (21.7)	32.8 (31.8)
Single – number (%)	8 (4.0)	12.8 (15.1)
HAQ-DI (0–3)	1.10±0.92	1.44±0.96
Pain VAS (0–100)	59.2±19.0	50.07±15.4

Note: Data presented as mean ± standard deviation unless stated otherwise.

Abbreviations: HAQ-DI, health assessment questionnaire disability index; OA, osteoarthritis; pain VAS, visual analog scale of pain; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SD, standard deviation.

Table 2 Analysis of a general quality of life (SF-36 PCS, SF-36 MCS) and its subscales (PF, RP, BP, GH, VT, SF, RE, MH) among patients with OA and RA

SF-36 (0–100)	Rheumatic disease
	OA, mean ± SD	*rp/P-value	RA, mean ± SD	*rp/P-value
PCS (0–100)	42.39±18.73	*rp=0.643 P<0.001	37.36±14.57	*rp=0.534 P<0.001
MCS (0–100)	47.65±21.44		44.30±20.81
Subscales SF-36 (0–100)
PF	47.55±28.63		42.90±22.69
Limitations in social roles for RP	24.11±41.03		16.00±32.47
BP	57.27±9.84		56.65±8.65
GH	42.16±17.21		34.00±17.21
VT	43.41±18.32		45.32±19.41
SF	38.86±24.22		41.10±23.34
Deficiency in fulfilling social roles for RE	51.51±47.68		38.70±45.84
MH	56.44±17.60		52.51±16.90

Note:

* r_p, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, where 0.10, 0.20, and 0.50 represent small, medium, and large effects, respectively.

Abbreviations: HAQ DI, health assessment questionnaire disability index; SF-36, item short form health survey; MCS, mental sphere; PCS, physical sphere; PF, physical functioning; RP, physical reasons; BP, pain; GH, general health; VT, vitality; SF, social functioning; RE, psychical reasons; MH, mental health; OA, osteoarthritis; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 Evaluation of quality of life in physical sphere (SF-36 PCS) and mental sphere (SF-36 MCA), and sex, age, and duration of disease in OA and RA

Variables studied	SF-36
	Quality of life in PCS (0–100)				Quality of life in MCS (0–100)
	OA, mean ± SD 42.39±18.73		RA, mean ± SD 37.36±14.57		OA, mean ± SD 47.65±21.44		RA, mean ± SD 44.39±20.81
	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value rs&/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value rs&/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value rs&/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value rs&/P-value
Sex
F	38.70±16.50	#10.01 (0.001)	35.51±12.58	#3.863 (0.052)	44.00±21.32	#7.396 (0.007)	41.34±17.85	#4.932 (0.028)
M	47.00±20.36		41.67±17.90		52.51±20.82		51.23±17.85
Age (years)
40–60	46.88±20.91	#4.558 (0.011)&−0.177 (0.012)	40.40±18.82	#2.195 (0.116)&−0.234 (0.019)	52.16±21.97	#3.726 (0.025)&−0.185 (0.008)	49.31±20.45	#1.720 (0.184)&−0.208 (0.038)
61–76	39.25±15.92		37.94±14.60		45.28±19.66		43.68±20.39
≥77	38.36±16.71		32.33±13.41		42.16±21.98		39.01±21.43
Duration of diseases (years)
0–5	51.15±21.12	#8.760 (<0.001)	41.80±19.46	#3.170 (0.025)	55.37±20.21	#7.585 (<0.001)	49.08±24.09	#0.486 (0.692)
6–10	43.89±19.87		41.08±13.39		52.50±22.18		43.86±18.03
>10	38.14±15.81		33.52±11.39		42.63±20.46		41.03±21.38

Note:

# The univariate ANOVA for independent groups, F-statistic,

& Spearman correlation coefficient r_s.

Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; F, female; M, male; MCS, mental sphere; PCS, physical sphere; SF-36, 36-item short form health survey; OA, osteoarthritis; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SD, standard deviation.

Table 4 Evaluation of quality of life in mental (SF-36 MCS) and physical (SF-36 PCS) spheres, and pain (pain VAS) and disability (HAQ DI)

Variables studied	SF-36
	Quality of life in PCS (0–100)				Quality of life in MCS (0–100)
	OA		RA		OA		RA
	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value
Pain VAS (0–100)
0–35	61.83±18.92	21.01 (<0.001)	56.46±17.50	10.22 (<0.001)	63.89±18.88	11.79 (<0.001)	55.85±19.39	2.195 (0.116)
36–66	42.97±18.44		36.33±12.75		49.50±19.55		45.30±20.17
67–100	37.11±15.50		34.37±13.14		42.24±21.25		40.44±21.28
HAQ DI (0–3)
0–1	51.44±18.87	42.78 (<0.001)	44.92±15.81	9.732 (<0.001)	56.69±19.17	29.69 (<0.001)	50.61±20.53	2.905 (0.05)
>1–2	32.53±10.51		34.38±12.61		37.86 ±17.88		41.75±20.10
>2–3	24.54±9.56		26.47±5.03		29.53±21.05		35.45±21.89

Note:

# The univariate ANOVA for independent groups, F-statistic.

Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; HAQ DI, health assessment questionnaire disability index; MCS, mental sphere; PCS, physical sphere; SF-36, 36-item short form health survey; pain VAS, visual analog scale of pain; OA, osteoarthritis; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SD, standard deviation.

Table 5 Correlation between pain problems and disability and quality of life in mental (SF-36 MCS) and physical (SF-36 PCS) spheres and in subscales SF-36 (physical PF and social SF functioning) of OA and RA patients

Variables studied (score range)	Rheumatic disease	SF-36		SF-36 subscales
		PCS	MCS	PF	SF
		rp*P-value	rp*P-value	rp*P-value	rp*P-value
Pain VAS	OA	−0.425 (<0.001)	−0.359 (<0.001)	−0.393 (<0.001)	−0.519 (<0.001)
	RA	−0.313 (<0.001)	−0.128 (<0.001)	−0.279 (<0.001)	−0.124 (<0.001)
HAQ DI	OA	−0.532 (<0.001)	−0.467 (<0.001)	−0.612 (<0.001)	−0.385 (<0.001)
	RA	−0.326 (<0.001)	−0.229 (<0.001)	−0.416 (<0.001)	−0.209 (<0.001)

Note:

* r_p, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, where 0.10, 0.20, and 0.50 represent small, medium, and large effects, respectively.

Abbreviations: HAQ DI, health assessment questionnaire disability index; MCS, mental functioning subscales SF-36; PCS, physical sphere; PF, physical functioning; SF-36, 36-item short form health survey; SF, social functioning; OA, osteoarthritis; RA, rheumatoid arthritis.

Table 6 Detailed analysis of quality of life coefficients (SF-36 subscales) in a sphere of PF, SF and pain (pain VAS) and disability (HAQ DI)

Variables studied	SF-36 subscales
	PF (0–100)				SF (0–100)
	OA		RA		OA		RA
	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value	Mean ± SD	F-statistic#/P-value
Pain VAS (0–100)
0–35	72.4±20.47	14.44 (<0.001)	54.44±25.05	3.521 (0.033)	63.5±25.23	25.66 (<0.001)	58.33±20.72	4.454 (0.014)
36–66	48.97±28.89		46.5±20.46		44.45±20.54		43.25±21.90
67–100	40.3±26.69		36.62±23.18		30.6±21.51		34.62±23.97
HAQ DI (0–3)
0–1	63.45±23.72	72.56 (<0.001)	60.71±15.95	26.57 (<0.001)	50.34±22.23	33.17 (<0.001)	46.78±20.63	3.341 (0.039)
>1–2	31.66±20.29		35.45±20.02		29.09±19.65		40.18±24.53
>2–3	9.68±11.47		22.77±15.02		16.25±18.14		25.0±20.72

Note:

# The univariate ANOVA for independent groups, F-statistic.

Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; HAQ DI, health assessment questionnaire disability index; SF-36, 36-item short form health survey; OA, osteoarthritis; pain VAS, visual analog scale of pain; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; PF, physical functioning; SF, social functioning; SD, standard deviation.