Impact of pharmacotherapy complexity on self-care in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the relationship between self-care and pharmacotherapy complexity in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS

this cross-sectional study was conducted at a teaching hospital in the Central-West region of Brazil from October to December 2023. Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing treatment for at least three months were included. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale-Revised, and the Pharmacotherapy Complexity Index were used. Analytical statistics were applied using percentiles, the Shapiro-Wilk test, post hoc analysis, ANOVA, and the Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTS

the sample consisted of 96 individuals. The mean self-care and pharmacotherapy complexity scores were at intermediate levels, 56.33 and 18.29, respectively. Relationships were identified between dose frequency and self-care development, as well as between overall pharmacotherapy complexity and reduced self-care capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

a high dosage frequency may positively influence self-care development in individuals with arthritis, whereas higher pharmacotherapy complexity scores may impair self-care capacity.