Life changes related to the onset of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Life changes preceding the onset of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) were studied in 49 children with prolonged arthritis, and in 58 children with temporary arthritis. In addition, the frequency of changes experienced by patients during their life was compared with the expectancy scores for healthy children. The frequency of changes during the year prior to the onset of the disease did not differentiate children with JRA from children with temporary arthritis. During their lives, the children of both groups had experienced a higher frequency of life changes requiring considerable readjustment than healthy children of the same age.