Favourable social functioning and health related quality of life of patients with JIA in early adulthood

• Published in: Annals of the rheumatic diseases 2005-06, Vol.64 (6), p.875-880
• Main Authors: Arkela-Kautiainen, M, Haapasaari, J, Kautiainen, H, Vilkkumaa, I, Mälkiä, E, Leirisalo-Repo, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Arthritis; Arthritis, Juvenile - psychology; Arthritis, Juvenile - rehabilitation; Biological and medical sciences; Disease; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Education; Educational Status; Employment; Extended Report; Female; Finn-AIMS2; Finnish version of the arthritis impact measurement scales questionnaire; health related quality of life; Health Surveys; Hospitals; HRQoL; Humans; Inflammatory joint diseases; Interpersonal Relations; JIA; juvenile arthritis; juvenile idiopathic arthritis; Logistic Models; Male; Marital Status; MCS; Medical sciences; mental component scales; Patients; PCS; physical component scales; QoL; Quality of Life; RAND 36 item health survey 1.0 questionnaire; RAND-36; Rehabilitation; Severity of Illness Index; social functioning; Studies; young adult; Young adults
• ISSN: 0003-4967; 1468-2060
• DOI: 10.1136/ard.2004.026591

Objective: To evaluate the social functioning and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in early adulthood. Methods: The patient files of the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital were screened to identify patients born in 1976–1980 diagnosed as having JIA. HRQoL was measured by the RAND 36-item health survey 1.0; spousal relationships and educational and employment status were assessed by questionnaire. The patients were invited to a follow up study. Age and sex matched controls from the community were identified in the Finnish population registry. Results: Of 187 patients identified, 123 participated. Spousal relationships, educational level, and employment status were similar to controls. HRQoL in JIA patients was similar to controls except on the physical functioning scale. At follow up 35% of patients were in remission. Patients with active disease had poorer HRQoL in the physical component than those in remission or controls. The extended oligoarthritis group had the lowest physical and mental score in HRQoL compared with the other JIA subgroups. The patient’s own evaluation was the explanatory factor in both the physical and mental component of HRQoL. Conclusion: Social functioning and HRQoL were similar in JIA patients and age, sex, and municipality matched controls. However, patients with extended oligoarthritis attained significantly lower scores in the physical and mental component of HRQoL than oligo- or polyarthritis patients. Special attention in everyday care should be paid to those patients who have active disease or the extended oligoarthritis type of disease.