I14 Quality of Life and Sexual Health in Rheumatic Diseases

Perceived effects of health status on sexual activity in women and men older than 50 years

Background Sexual activity and enjoyment are considered to be important components of quality of life (QOL) for adults of all ages. However, limited data are available on the effects of health status on sexual activity in women and men older than 50 years. Thus, our aim was to explore the perceived effects of health status on sexual activity in women and men older than 50 years. Methods For this purpose we used data from an age and gender matched control study initially designed to study QOL in patients with low-energy wrist fracture. We investigated patients with wrist fractures older than 50 years (n = 181), as well as age- and gender-matched controls (n = 226), who participated in the QO…

Exploring the relationship between demographic and disease-related variables and perceived effect of health status on sexual activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: associations found only with non-disease variables.

To explore the relationship between demographic and disease-related variables and the perceived effect of health status on sexual activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA).The study assessed 379 ax-SpA patients consecutively recruited from two rheumatology outpatient clinics. Data collection included information on demographics, markers and measures of ax-SpA disease, treatment, comorbidity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using the Short Form-36. The perceived effect of health status on sexual activity was assessed using question 15 in the HRQoL instrument 15D.The mean age of the patients was 45.6 years, 66.5% were men, 87.3% were human leucocyte antigen-B27 pos…

Increased proportion of comorbidities but no deterioration of sexual quality of life during a 5-year follow-up in patients with axial spondyloarthritis in the biologic treatment era.

Abstract Objective To explore patient perception of sexual quality of life (SQOL), an important category of QOL, in male and female patients with axial SpA (axSpA) after a 5 year follow-up. Methods A broad spectrum of demographic, disease-related, treatment and SQOL data was collected at baseline and at the 5 year follow-up. SQOL was assessed by the SQOL-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire. For statistical analysis, McNemar’s tests, paired t-tests and multiple regression analyses were applied. Results A total of 245 axSpA patients (168 men and 77 women) from outpatient clinics were examined (mean age 46 years, mean disease duration 11.9 years at baseline). Compared with baseline, the patients had…

Increased Proportion of Comorbidities but no Deterioration of sexual QOL during a 5-year follow-up in Patients with ax-SpA in the biologic Treatment Era

Author's accepted manuscript. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Rheumatology following peer review. The version of record Berg, K. H., Rohde, G., Pripp, A., Prøven, A., Benestad, E. E. P., Østensen, M. & Haugeberg, G. (2021). Increased proportion of comorbidities but no deterioration of sexual QOL during a 5-year follow-up in patients with axSpA in the biologic treatment era. Rheumatology, 60(9), 4112-4120 is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/60/9/4112/6067306 and https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keaa887. Objective. To explore patient perception of sexual quality of life (SQOL), an important categ…

Sexual quality of life in patients with axial spondyloarthritis

Paper I, paper II and paper III are excluded from the dissertation due to copyright. Accepted versions of paper II and paper III follow as separate files. Background: Research on the impact of health status on sexual activity and sexual quality of life (QOL) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is scarce. Aim: The overall aim of the studies was to examine the impact of health status on sexual activity and sexual QOL in male and female patients with axSpA. Methods: Three hundred and seventy-nine consecutive patients with axSpA, aged 18–81 years, who visited the outpatient rheumatology clinics at two Norwegian hospitals were included. Data on demographic factors, disease, treatmen…

Sexual Quality of Life in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis in the Biologic Treatment Era.

Author's accepted manuscript. This is a pre-copyediting, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in The Journal of Rheumatology following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Berg, K. H., Rohde, G., Prøven, A., Benestad, E. E. P., Østensen, M. & Haugeberg, G. (2019). Sexual Quality of Life in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis in the Biologic Treatment Era. The Journal of Rheumatology, 46(9), 1075-1083 is available online at: https://www.jrheum.org/content/46/9/1075. Objective. To examine the relationship between demographics, disease-related variables, treatment, and sexual quality of life (SQOL) in men and women with axial spondyloarthritis (ax…