Association between body mass and physical activity with quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive joint condition that leads to joints destruction and complications in the internal organs and significantly affects the a patient’s functional, physical, psychological and social condition. Over the last few years, research into the quality of life (QoL) in people with chronic disease has been conducted to assess the results of treatment. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess QoL in various areas of life in regards to physical and mental functioning, social relations, and environmental influences in people with RA. Material and methods. The study group (subjects with RA) and the control group (subjects without RA) consisted of 48 people each. Subject age ranged from 19 to 68. In order to assess QoL, the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used, while socio-demographic data were assessed with a questionnaire developed by the authors. Results. QoL in people with RA was lower than that of healthy individuals. The worst QoL was observed in the physical domain. No statistically significant association was found between BMI and QoL. It was found, however, that subjects with RA and a higher level of physical activity had a better QoL than those with a lower level of physical activity. Conclusion. There was no association between the body mass of RA patients and QoL assessment. However, an association was found between the level of physical activity in people with RA and QoL in the physical and environmental domain.