Determinants of Adherence to cDMARDs in Patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of joints, with associated joints pain, swellings, damage and disability. Adherence to these prescribed drugs is important to improve joint function, productivity of work, and health-associated quality of life. This approach may also reduce likability of joint damage, disability, and morbidity, with improvement in life expectancy. Objective: To understand the determinants of adherences to treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (cDMARDs) in Rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Rheumatology and Immunology department of Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore Pakistan for three months. Total of 163 RA patients were enrolled after following inclusion and exclusion criteria. After taking the informed consent, multiple questionnaires were filled by the patients. All the data was entered and analyzed using SPSS 23. The p value of < 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: The mean age of the patients was 43.11 ± 12.11 years. There were 31(19%) male and 132 (81%) female patients. MARS score was high in females than males. Low disease activity groups had lowest MARS score with statistically significant difference from other disease activity group (p = 0.045; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Female rheumatoid arthritis patients had significantly higher adherence scores than males. All factors of BMQ and SIMS and feature of emotional representation from IPQ show significant difference with regard to gender.