TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-protection strategies and health behaviour in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - results and predictors in more than 12 000 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases followed in the Danish DANBIO registry
AU - Glintborg, Bente
AU - Jensen, Dorte Vendelbo
AU - Engel, Sara
AU - Terslev, Lene
AU - Pfeiffer Jensen, Mogens
AU - Hendricks, Oliver
AU - Ostergaard, Mikkel
AU - Horskjær Rasmussen, Simon
AU - Adelsten, Thomas
AU - Colic, Ada
AU - Danebod, Kamilla
AU - Kildemand, Malene
AU - Loft, Anne Gitte
AU - Munk, Heidi Lausten
AU - Pedersen, Jens Kristian
AU - Østgård, René Drage
AU - Møller Sørensen, Christian
AU - Krogh, Niels Steen
AU - Agerbo, Jette
AU - Ziegler, Connie
AU - Hetland, Merete
N1 - © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - AIMS: In Danish patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases to explore self-protection strategies and health behaviour including adherence to disease-modifying antirheumatic treatment (DMARD) during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and again after the reopening of the society started. Furthermore, to identify characteristics of patients with high levels of anxiety and self-isolation.METHODS: Patients in routine care followed prospectively in the nationwide DANBIO registry were invited to answer an online questionnaire regarding disease activity and COVID-19 infection, behaviour in March and June 2020. Responses were linked to patient data in DANBIO. Characteristics potentially associated with anxiety, self-isolation and medication adherence (gender/age/diagnosis/education/work status/comorbidity/DMARD/smoking/EQ-5D/disease activity) were explored with multivariable logistic regression analyses.RESULTS: We included 12 789 patients (8168 rheumatoid arthritis/2068 psoriatic arthritis/1758 axial spondyloarthritis/795 other) of whom 65% were women and 36% treated with biological DMARD. Self-reported COVID-19 prevalence was 0.3%. Patients reported that they were worried to get COVID-19 infection (March/June: 70%/45%) and self-isolated more than others of the same age (48%/38%). The fraction of patients who changed medication due to fear of COVID-19 were 4.1%/0.6%. Female gender, comorbidities, not working, lower education, biological treatment and poor European Quality of life, 5 dimensions were associated with both anxiety and self-isolation.CONCLUSION: In >12 000 patients with inflammatory arthritis, we found widespread anxiety and self-isolation, but high medication adherence, in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. This persisted during the gradual opening of society during the following months. Attention to patients' anxiety and self-isolation is important during this and potential future epidemics.
AB - AIMS: In Danish patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases to explore self-protection strategies and health behaviour including adherence to disease-modifying antirheumatic treatment (DMARD) during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and again after the reopening of the society started. Furthermore, to identify characteristics of patients with high levels of anxiety and self-isolation.METHODS: Patients in routine care followed prospectively in the nationwide DANBIO registry were invited to answer an online questionnaire regarding disease activity and COVID-19 infection, behaviour in March and June 2020. Responses were linked to patient data in DANBIO. Characteristics potentially associated with anxiety, self-isolation and medication adherence (gender/age/diagnosis/education/work status/comorbidity/DMARD/smoking/EQ-5D/disease activity) were explored with multivariable logistic regression analyses.RESULTS: We included 12 789 patients (8168 rheumatoid arthritis/2068 psoriatic arthritis/1758 axial spondyloarthritis/795 other) of whom 65% were women and 36% treated with biological DMARD. Self-reported COVID-19 prevalence was 0.3%. Patients reported that they were worried to get COVID-19 infection (March/June: 70%/45%) and self-isolated more than others of the same age (48%/38%). The fraction of patients who changed medication due to fear of COVID-19 were 4.1%/0.6%. Female gender, comorbidities, not working, lower education, biological treatment and poor European Quality of life, 5 dimensions were associated with both anxiety and self-isolation.CONCLUSION: In >12 000 patients with inflammatory arthritis, we found widespread anxiety and self-isolation, but high medication adherence, in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. This persisted during the gradual opening of society during the following months. Attention to patients' anxiety and self-isolation is important during this and potential future epidemics.
U2 - 10.1136/rmdopen-2020-001505
DO - 10.1136/rmdopen-2020-001505
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33402443
VL - 7
JO - RMD Open
JF - RMD Open
SN - 2056-5933
IS - 1
M1 - e001505
ER -