Assessment of objective and subjective quality of life in people with rheumatoid arthritis - preliminary study.

BACKGROUND Quality of life evaluation is nowadays an important element in the assessment of treatment and rehabilitation effectiveness in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to studies of patients with other diseases, objective indicators of life quality are not directly related to the level of subjective life satisfaction. Both dimensions should be taken into account in a reliable evaluation of the quality of life of any patient. The analysis of available literature reveals few publications concerned with evaluating quality of life in people with RA in both the objective and subjective dimensions. MATERIAL AND METHOD A total of 42 people with RA took part in the study. The Life Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to assess subjective quality of life, and the objective dimension was assessed with a questionnaire investigating education, employment, income etc., before and after the disease was diagnosed. RESULTS The study found that people with RA perceive their global life satisfaction as low. Only 38% of the participants were satisfied with their lives as a whole. Their vocational activity decreased by more than 45% in relation to the situation before developing RA. Watching TV was the most often stated leisure activity. People with RA were most satisfied with their family life and contact with friends, and the least satisfying life domains were their vocational and financial situations. The main predictors of global life satisfaction in people with RA were satisfaction with the financial situation and sexual life. CONCLUSION RA decreases both the objective and subjective dimensions of quality of life. Taking into account the importance of patient quality of life evaluation in the assessment of effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation in patients with RA, it seems necessary to include both dimensions, as only this guarantees achieving results that reliably reflect the real situation.