Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Recurrence Prevention Among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim: This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on recurrence prevention.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted between 20 July, 2023 and 25 September, 2023 to collect demographic information and KAP scores of patients with RA by distributing questionnaires.

Results: A total of 416 participants were enrolled in the statistical analyses. The median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were 11 (8, 13), 33 (32, 36), and 71 (63, 80), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that graduating from junior college or undergraduate and above and longer duration of RA were independently associated with good knowledge. Knowledge score was independently associated with positive attitude. Patients who paid their medical expenses entirely out of pocket exhibited a more negative attitude compared with those receiving partial reimbursement. Furthermore, having a junior college or higher degree, and unemployed/retired were independently associated with proactive practice. However, it is interesting to note that patients with a monthly per capita household income of 4,000-6,000 yuan had less active practices than those with that of less than or equal to 2,000 yuan. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) showed that knowledge directly affects attitude (β = 0.438) and attitude directly affects practice (β = 0.647).

Conclusion: Patients demonstrated adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and passive practices toward RA recurrence prevention. To optimize clinical practice in preventing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) recurrence, targeted educational initiatives are crucial, especially for patients with lower education levels and shorter RA durations.