Quality of life and socioeconomic factors in Polish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

• Published in: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Vol. 22; no. 10; pp. 1218 - 1226
• Main Authors: Kulczycka, L, Sysa-Jedrzejowska, A., Zalewska-Janowska, A., Miniszewska, J., Robak, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2008
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Female; health survey; Humans; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - physiopathology; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - psychology; Male; Middle Aged; Poland; population characteristics; Quality of Life; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; systemic lupus erythematosus; Poland
• ISSN: 0926-9959; 1468-3083
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2008.02784.x

Objective  To determinate health related quality of life (HRQoL) in SLE patients and correlate it with socioeconomic factors. Methods  The study was conducted on 83 SLE patients who fulfilled at least 4 out of 11 ACR criteria. HRQoL was measured by SF‐36. Socioeconomic data were collected from the patients at the time of filling‐up SF‐36 questionnaire. Results  SLE patients presented decreased HRQoL. Duration of the disease, as well as age of the patients, had an influence on it. Patients who lived in the villages obtained lower results than those from the cities. More educated patients assessed their HRQoL as higher. Surprisingly, patients who described their social conditions as worse presented better quality of life. There was a statistically significant correlations between HRQoL and socioeconomic factors.