Satisfaction with Social Roles and Physical Function in Immune-mediated Inflammatory Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Although mood disorders have been well characterized by immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, physical function and satisfaction with social roles have not yet been defined as independent domains. Objective: The study aims to assess satisfaction with social roles and physical function alterations in a population with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and identify associated characteris-tics. Methods: Physical function and social role satisfaction were evaluated through the Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement System. Besides comparison between groups, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors. Results: Two hundred sixty-five patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and 206 controls were recruited. Compared to controls, patients with inflammatory bowel diseases had impaired physical function (p<0.001), while patients with inflammatory arthritis reported impair-ment in both domains (p<0.001, each). In the univariate logistic regression, gender, high school educational level, physical activity, and occupation were positively associated with physical func-tion and social role satisfaction (p<0.001; p=0.001; p<0.001; p=0.001 and p<0.001; p=0.012; p=0.008; p=0.004, respectively). Active disease and steroids were inversely associated with phys-ical function and social roles satisfaction (p=0.033; p=0.022 and p=0.002; p=0.038, respectively). Further associations were found between age and physical function (p=0.002) and biological treatment and ESR with social roles satisfaction (p<0.001; p=0.043; respectively). In the multivar-iable regression, gender was found to be associated with physical function (p<0.001) and social roles satisfaction (p=0.003). Negatively associated factors were biological treatment for satisfac-tion with social roles (p<0.001) and steroids for physical function (p=0.021), and social roles sat-isfaction (p=0.018). Conclusion: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases determine alterations in physical function and social life satisfaction. Gender and treatment are independently associated factors. Patient-reported outcomes should be considered in clinical management to define patients’ real needs.