Factors Related to Fatigue in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis

여성 류마티스 관절염 환자의 피로 관련 요인

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the degree of fatigue and its related factors in women with rheumatoid arthritis. Method: The subjects were 143 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Data were collected by questionnaires including Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Fatigue(Tack, 1991), Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire(Bae et al., 1991), numeric scale of pain(Lee & Song, 1987), Center for Epidemiologic StudiesDepression, and Korean Sleep Scale(Oh, et al., 1998). The data were analyzed by SPSS WIN 12.0 program using descriptive statistics, Pearson Correlation, and Stepwise Multiple Regression. Result: The result were as follows. 1. The scores of fatigue of subjects averaged $4.95{\pm}1.83$, degree of fatigue was $5.85{\pm}1.98$, and influence of fatigue was $4.04{\pm}2.09$. 2. The mean score of the degree of physical dysfunction, pain, sleep disorder, and depression were $1.42{\pm}0.38,\;8.15{\pm}3.58,\;1.86{\pm}0.67,\;and\;1.85{\pm}0.46$ points respectively. 3. The subject's total fatigue score, physical dysfunction, pain, sleep disorder, and depression was correlated positively(r=.44, r=.28, r=.29, r=.27, p< .01). 4. The main influencing factors on the fatigue were physical dysfunction and sleep disorder. These two main variables made it possible to explain 23.0% of the variance in fatigue. Conclusion: Therefore, nursing interventions for fatigue experienced women with rheumatoid arthritis would be focused to decrease physical dysfunction and sleep disorder.