The relations of quality of life in patients with lupus erythematosus: Regression models versus qualitative comparative analysis

Abstract

Background: Lupus erythematosus (LE) is an autoimmune disease that can have negative repercussions on the quality of life (QL) of those who suffer from it. The QL can be influenced by socio-demographic factors are related to the disease itself.

Aims: To analyse the associative power of socio-demographic (age and sex) and medical variables (type of lupus, diagnostic time and symptomatically associated with lupus) on the QL in patients with lupus by comparing linear relations models and models based on comparative qualitative fuzzy analysis.

Design: This is a retrospective cross-sectional design.

Participants: The sample consisted of 161 patients (88.4% female) diagnosed with LE between the ages of 18-66 years.

Methods: Data were collected between 2015 - 2017 using the Lupus Erythematosus Quality of Life Questionnaire. Two different statistical methodologies were used: traditional regression models and qualitative comparative analysis models of fuzzy sets.

Results: The results of the regression model suggest that none of the variables considered could explain the QL of these patients. On the other hand, the results of the fuzzy models suggest that being female, young and a shorter time to diagnosis explain higher levels of QL in these types of patients.

Conclusions: Since nurses are the people who interact most with patients, detecting risk groups of patients with lupus respect to their QL. This can help develop intervention programs from a nursing perspective.

Keywords: age; diagnosis time; health care; lupus erythematosus; nursing; qualitative comparative analysis; quality of life; regression models; sex; type of lupus.