Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify differences of BMI, pain, depression, self-esteem and self-efficacy between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. Method: The study subjects were 135 persons having chronic arthritis at rheumatology clinic and the department of orthopedic surgery of the C university hospital in D city. The data were collected from February 19th to April 7th, 2003. The data analysis consisted of $X^{2}-test$, t-test, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, and multiple regression using SPSSWIN 10.0 program. Result: 1. There were significant differences in age(p=0.000), occupation(p=0.015), marriage(p=0.028), duration of illness(p=0.000), BMI(p=0.006) and Self-efficacy(p=0.017) between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. 2. In rheumatoid arthritis, the BMI and self-esteem(r=-0.239, p=0.05) were significantly correlated and also pain and self-esteem(r=-0.402, p=0.01), pain and self-efficacy(r=-0.455, p=0.01) were significantly negatively correlated. The self-esteem and depression(r=-0.622, p=0.01), self-efficacy and depression(r=-0.729, p=0.01) were significantly negatively correlated and also pain and depression(r=0.432, p=0.01), self-esteem and self-efficacy(r=-0.476, p=0.01) were significantly positively correlated. In osteoarthritis, the pain and self-esteem(r=-0.225, p=0.01) were significantly negatively correlated and also pain and self-efficacy(r=-0.493, p=0.01), self-esteem and depression(r=-0.692, p=0.01), self-efficacy and depression(r=-0.566, p=0.01) were significantly negatively correlated. The pain and depression(r=0.290, p=0.05), self-esteem and self-efficacy(r=0.383, p=0.01) were significantly positively correlated. 3. The factors influenced by the self-efficacy, the depression and age in rheumatoid arthritis explained 56.2%, the depression and pain in osteoarthritis explained 43.9%. The factors influenced by the BMI, the self-esteem in rheumatoid arthritis explained 5.7%, but there was no significantly variable in osteoarthritis. Conclusion: The results support the importance of different nursing intervention focused on BMI and self-efficacy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. There is a need for further studies to identify relation of variables in different diseases related to arthritis.