Objectives It has been suggested that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to suffer from depression. Therefore, this study identified the factors associated with depressive states in female RA patients to inform future patient care. Methods A self-assessment questionnaire was administered to 150 female RA patients aged 20 years and older regarding their satisfaction with disease activity, pain (measured using the Visual Analogue Scale), self-rated depression scale (SDS), stress content (illness, work, family, difficulty in daily life, appearance, treatment, other), confidence in stress management, and satisfaction (treatment effect, health status, relationships with healthcare professionals). The factors related to depression and the presence of depressive tendencies were investigated. Results Data from 145 patients were analyzed. Eighteen patients (12.4%) showed depressive tendencies according to their SDS scores. Among these patients, SDS scores were positively correlated with disease activity, and with scores on the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale for pain, and stress content. SDS was also negatively correlated with patients’ confidence in stress management and health status satisfaction. Conclusion Female RA patients had family problems and various stressors in their daily lives. Nurses need to conduct regular mental health assessments to monitor their self-management status and support them to improve their confidence and satisfaction in coping. To achieve this, it is important for health care teams, involving various healthcare professionals, to collaborate and cooperate.

Objectives We explored associations between health-related quality of life (QOL) with self-management and satisfaction with relationships with medical professionals among female rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods Female RA outpatients completed anonymized self-reported questionnaires. Their confidence in self-managing different aspects of RA and satisfaction with relationships with medical professionals were assessed using a visual analog scale. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors correlated with health-related QOL. Results Valid responses were received from 145 subjects. Mean PCS and MCS scores were 43.0 and 50.4, respectively, suggesting that female RA patients experience reduced QOL despite low disease activity, without perceiving difficulties in their daily lives. PCS scores correlated negatively with the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ) scores, and MCS scores correlated positively with stress self-management and patient–provider satisfaction, but negatively with mHAQ scores. PCS and MCS scores were not significantly influenced by demographic or clinical characteristics including age, disease duration, Steinbrocker stage (or class), or biologic use. Conclusion To improve health-related QOL in these patients, we must establish good patient–provider relationships and personalize strategies based on physical and mental conditions, enabling normal daily living. We should help achieve functional and social remission by improving their confidence in self-managing their disease.

This cross-sectional study examined nurses' eHealth literacy, health education experiences, and confidence in health education regarding online health information and explored their association. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 442 nurses in Japan from September 2020 to March 2021. The survey items were the Japanese version of the eHealth Literacy Scale, health education experiences and confidence in health education regarding online health information, and sociodemographic variables. The final analysis comprised 263 responses. Nurses' mean eHealth literacy was 21.89. Most nurses had never received questions regarding online health information in search (66.9%), evaluation (85.2%), and utilization (81.0%) from their patients. Further, most nurses lacked experience (84.0%-89.7%) and confidence (94.7%-97.3%) in health education regarding online health information. The factor associated with having health education experience regarding online health information was eHealth literacy (adjusted odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.15). Factors associated with having confidence in health education regarding online health information were eHealth literacy (adjusted odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.43) and having learning experiences regarding eHealth literacy (adjusted odds ratio, 7.36; 95% confidence interval, 2.06-26.39). Our findings suggest the importance of enhancing eHealth literacy among nurses and a proactive approach by nurses to improve patients' eHealth literacy.