RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND QUALITY OF LIFE

长期目标是提高与健康相关的生活质量 来自两个家庭的类风湿关节炎(RA)患者的(HQOL) 不同的文化群体。这项研究有助于发展 一个有效和可行的问题管理计划，既适用于 西班牙裔白人和墨西哥裔美国人。如果成功，该计划应该会 可出口到患有其他形式关节炎的待在家里的患者。 HQOL被定义为幸福的多维结构，基于 身体、认知、情感、社会和经济的感知水平 受疾病、事故和治疗影响的功能(Cella&Cherin， 1988年；Grant，Padilla等人，1990年)。对HQOL的评估是基于 一个或多个维度中当前职能级别之间的差异 幸福感和预期的功能水平。问题管理 战略可以通过改变当前和/或预期水平来改善HQOL 以缩小两者之间的差距的方式发挥作用。

The long range goal is to improve the health-related quality of life (HQOL) of homebound rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from a two different cultural groups. This study contributes to the development of an effective and feasible problem management program both for non- Hispanic whites and Mexican-Americans. If successful, the program should be exportable to homebound patients with other forms of arthritis. HQOL is defined as a multidimensional construct of well-being based on perceived level of physical, cognitive, emotional, social and economic function as affected by disease, accident and treatment (Cella & Cherin, 1988; Grant, Padilla et al, 1990). Evaluations of HQOL are based on the discrepancy between current level of function in one or more dimensions of well-being and expected level of function. Problem management strategies can improve HQOL by changing current and/or expected level of function in such a way as to reduce the gap between the two.