Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), to examine the correlation among each measurement, and to identify the predictor for HRQOL in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The HRQOL and clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed by Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36), EuroQol5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), time trade off (TTO) and standard gamble (SG) using computer software, Centers for Epidemiologic StudiesDepression (CES-D), social support, self-efficacy scale, Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire (KHAQ), functional class, radiologic classification, morning stiffness, Ritchie index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and c-reactive protein (CRP) respectively from 100 outpatients with RA. And the data of the SF-36 and EQ-5D in RA patients were compared with those in 228 healthy controls.

Results: Of the 100 subjects with RA, 93 (93 %) were women with mean age of 51.7⁑9.8 years. The mean years of disease onset were 11.16⁑9.23. The mean scores of SF-36 global health (GH), mental component summary (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) were 51.5⁑20.6, 61.6⁑26.6, and 47.1⁑24.1, respectively. The mean EQ-5D utility and visual analog scale (VAS) score were 0.58⁑0.3 and 61.7⁑20.5, respectively. The mean scores of the TTO and SG were 0.56⁑0.58 and 0.51⁑0.39. The SF-36 and EQ-5D scores in RA patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls. The mean scores of 8 KHAQ disability index and visual analog pain scale were 0.83⁑0.65 and 50.0⁑23.7, respectively. The mean scores of CES-D, self-efficacy scale, social support, and social network were 9.67⁑6.76, 68.2⁑15.2, 2.37⁑0.19, and 2.19⁑0.55, respectively. The KHAQ mean score was negatively correlated with the scores of SF-36 GH, MCS, PCS, EQ-5D utility, EQ-5D VAS score, social support, social network (r=⁣0.62, r=⁣0.47, r=⁣0.64, r=⁣0.60, r=⁣0.39, r=⁣0.26, r=⁣0.36, respectively, all p's＜0.001), and self-efficacy scale (r=⁣0.24, p=0.02), and positively correlated with the CES-D (r=0.61, p＜0.001). In multivariate models, the predicting variables of SF-36 GH were KHAQ and self-efficacy scale. The predicting variables of SF-36 MCS were age, KHAQ, and self-efficacy scale and the predicting variables of SF-36 PCS were age, income, KHAQ, and self-efficacy scale.

Conclusion: These results suggest that HRQOL in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis is significantly lower than healthy control. The age, HAQ, CES-D, self-efficacy scale were meaningful variables that was significantly correlated with HRQOL. Therefore, the efforts to improve HRQOL may be designed to improve the self-efficacy and the depression in addition to conventional treatment.

Keywords: Health-related quality of life, Rheumatoid arthritis, Short Form-36 (SF-36), EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)