Factors associated with intimacy in female Taiwanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association of demographic factors, clinical manifestations and disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with intimate relationships in female patients with SLE. Design This was a cross-sectional study based on questionnaires. Setting This study was conducted at a regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan from April to September 2019. Participants Adult patients with SLE recruited from the outpatient rheumatology clinics of the study hospital. Primary outcome measure Disease-specific quality of life assessed using the Lupus Quality of Life questionnaire (LupusQoL). Results A total of 243 female patients with SLE were enrolled. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the independent factors associated with a higher score in the intimate relationships domain of the LupusQoL included the age group under 40 years (p=0.001), education level of college or above (p=0.005), being employed (p<0.001), a better self-reported health status (p=0.012) and a lower SLE-Disease Activity Score (SLE-DAS) score (p=0.010). In addition, the intimate relationships domain was significantly and independently associated physical health (p=0.001), fatigue (p=0.006) and burden to others (p=0.002) domains of the LupusQoL. Conclusions Physicians should be vigilant regarding the intimate relationships aspect of the health-related quality of life in female patients with SLE, especially in those who are older, unemployed, have a low educational level, poor self-reported health status, higher SLE-DAS, fatigue, and feeling of burden to others.

Automated summary

This study investigated the association of demographic factors, clinical manifestations, and disease activity of SLE with intimate relationships in female patients. The results showed that younger age, higher education level, employment, better self-reported health status, and lower SLE-DAS score were associated with better intimate relationships. In addition, intimate relationships were significantly associated with physical health, fatigue, and burden to others.