Table 2 Summary of answers to the questionnaire at the three different time-points
Baseline (N = 110) | 1st wave (N = 109) | 2nd wave (N = 113) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean ± SD or pct. (95% CI) | Mean ± SD or pct. (95% CI) | Mean ± SD or pct. (95% CI) | ||
Category: subjective health status | ||||
How would you describe your current state of health? | 2.6 ± 0.9 | 2.8 ± 1.1 | 2.8 ± 1.0 | 0.2031 |
How would you describe your overall feeling of well-being at the present moment? | 2.7 ± 1.1 | 2.7 ± 1.2 | 2.6 ± 1.0 | 0.6061 |
How is your joint pain today? | 2.9 ± 1.1 | 2.8 ± 1.1 | 2.9 ± 1.1 | 0.8871 |
How happy are you today with the general state of your illness? | 2.7 ± 1.2 | 2.6 ± 1.2 | 2.8 ± 1.2 | 0.4071 |
Category: quality of life | ||||
To what extent is the quality of your life today influenced by the illness, rheumatoid arthritis? | 3.2 ± 1.2 | 2.8 ± 1.2 | 2.7 ± 1.2 | <0.0011 |
Which ramifications does rheumatoid arthritis have for your life today? (more than one answer possible) | ||||
The pain stresses me | 70.0% (60.9-78.2) | 66.1% (56.9-75.2) | 67.3% (58.4-76.1) | 0.6762 |
The pain affects my daily life | 70.0% (61.8-78.2) | 49.5% (40.4-58.7) | 46.9% (38.1-55.8) | <0.0012 |
The illness has psychological repercussions | 51.8% (42.7-60.9) | 42.2% (33.0-51.4) | 42.5% (33.6-51.3) | 0.1232 |
In spite of my illness, full performance is expected of me | 26.4% (18.2-34.5) | 32.1% (23.9-41.3) | 25.7% (17.7-33.6) | 0.2752 |
The illness has little or no influence on my life | 25.5% (17.3-33.6) | 44.0% (34.9-53.2) | 36.3% (27.4-45.1) | 0.0042 |
The illness has had a negative influence on my social status | 22.7% (15.5-30.9) | 20.2% (12.8-27.5) | 26.5% (18.6-34.5) | 0.5662 |
How do you deal with your illness today? (more than one answer possible) | ||||
Medication makes handling of the illness easier | 90.0% (83.6-95.5) | 93.6% (89.0-97.2) | 83.2% (76.1-89.4) | 0.0392 |
The illness is simply part of everyday life i.e. I have learned to come to terms with it | 81.8% (74.5-89.1) | 86.2% (79.8-92.7) | 83.2% (76.1-89.4) | 0.8302 |
I adopted a positive attitude towards the illness | 33.6% (25.5-42.7) | 63.3% (54.1-72.5) | 52.2% (43.4-61.1) | <0.0012 |
The illness is just a burden | 17.3% (10.0-24.5) | 31.2% (22.9-40.4) | 28.3% (20.4-36.3) | 0.0062 |
Which of the following has a bearing on your quality of life in relation to your illness, today? (more than one answer possible) | ||||
Independence, i.e. doing things that I want to do | 82.7% (75.5-89.1) | 82.6% (75.2-89.0) | 80.5% (72.6-87.6) | 0.7052 |
Being active, e.g. sports or going places and doing things | 74.5% (66.4-82.7) | 76.1% (67.9-83.5) | 80.5% (73.5-87.6) | 0.8092 |
Social activity, e.g. meeting friends | 72.7% (64.5-80.9) | 78.9% (71.6-86.2) | 83.2% (76.1-89.4) | 0.2002 |
Good physical well-being, e.g. being pain-free and mobile | 61.8% (52.7-70.9) | 82.6% (75.2-89.0) | 78.8% (71.7-85.8) | 0.0012 |
Other | 2.7% (0.0-6.4) | 3.7% (0.9-7.3) | 3.5% (0.9-7.1) | 1.0002 |
Think of your own personal future in relation to your illness. What attitude do you have to your own future at this time? (single choice) | ||||
Generally optimistic | 54.5% (45.5-63.6) | 46.6% (36.9-56.3) | 52.4% (42.7-62.1) | 0.1791 |
Neutral | 40.0% (30.9-49.1) | 43.7% (34.0-53.4) | 35.0 (26.2-44.7)% | |
Generally pessimistic | 5.5% (1.8-10.0) | 9.7% (3.9-15.5) | 12.6% (6.8-19.4) | |