Fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis patients: The status, independent risk factors, and consistency of multiple scales

• Published in: Immunity, Inflammation and Disease Vol. 12; no. 6; pp. e1313 - n/a
• Main Authors: Zhou, Jun, Wang, Wen, Gao, Wenjia, Xu, Yan, Zang, Yinshan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; arthritis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - diagnosis; Body mass index; Case-Control Studies; Diabetes; Disease; Education; Employment; Enrollments; Fatigue; Fatigue - diagnosis; Fatigue - etiology; Female; Gender; Humans; Hyperlipidemia; Hypertension; Male; Males; Marital status; Middle Aged; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Original; Patients; Proteins; Quality of life; Questionnaires; rheumatoid; Rheumatoid arthritis; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; fatigue; risk factors; arthritis; surveys and questionnaires; case–control studies; rheumatoid
• ISSN: 2050-4527; 2050-4527
• DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1313

Introduction Fatigue is a common symptom that negatively affects the outcomes and functions of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This study aimed to assess the fatigue by two scales and validate their consistency, also to comprehensively evaluate fatigue‐related risk factors in RA patients. Methods In this case–control study, the fatigue of 160 RA patients and 60 healthy controls was evaluated by the Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue Multi‐Dimensional Questionnaire (BRAF‐MDQ) and the Chinese version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI‐C). The 28‐joint disease activity score using erythrocyte sedimentation rate of RA patients was assessed. Results The BRAF‐MDQ and BFI‐C scores were elevated in RA patients versus healthy controls (all p < .001). Interestingly, BRAF‐MDQ global fatigue score positively correlated with BFI‐C global fatigue score in both RA patients (r = .669, p < .001) and healthy controls (r = .527, p < .001); meanwhile, Kendall's tau‐b test showed a high consistency between BRAF‐MDQ and BFI‐C global fatigue scores in RA patients (W = 0.759, p < .001) and healthy controls (W = 0.933, p < .001). Notably, higher education level (В = −4.547; 95% confidence interval: −7.065, −2.029; p < .001) and swollen joint count (В = 1.965; 95% confidence interval: 1.375, 2.554; p < .001) independently related to BRAF‐MDQ global fatigue score; higher education level (В = −0.613; 95% confidence interval: −0.956, −0.269; p = .001) and clinical disease activity index (В = 0.053; 95% confidence interval: 0.005, 0.102; p = .032) independently linked with BFI‐C global fatigue score. Conclusion Fatigue commonly occurs in RA patients, which independently relates to education level and disease activity. Furthermore, BRAF‐MDQ and BFI‐C scales exhibit a high consistency in assessing fatigue. This study intended to assess fatigue by BRAF‐MDQ and BFI‐C scales, and validate their consistency, also to explore fatigue‐related risk factors in RA patients. Fatigue commonly occurs in RA patients, which independently relates to education level and disease activity. Furthermore, BRAF‐MDQ and BFI‐C scales exhibit a high consistency in assessing fatigue.