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Table 4 Beliefs of people living with rheumatoid arthritis reported in the analyzed articles

From: Fears and beliefs of people living with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review

Beliefs and their consequences

Articles

N (% of the 74 articles reporting beliefs)a

Total number of patients

Studies recruiting participants in Europe

N (%) / Number of patients recruited in Europe

Studies recruiting participants in North America

N (%) /

Number of patients recruited in North America

Studies recruiting participants outside Europe and North America

N (%) /

Number of patients recruited outside Europe and North America

Beliefs about the RA affecting impact of disease

33 (44.6)

9146

   

Emotional impact

14 (18.9)

6404

6 (42.9) / 901

7 (50.0) / 945

1 (7.1)/ 4558

Function

6 (8.1)

715

4 (66.7)/ 370

2 (33.3) / 345

–

Quality of life

5 (6.8)

1034

4 (80.0) / 623

1 (20.0) / 411

–

Fatigue

2 (2.7)

186

1 (50.0) / 64

1 (50.0) / 122

–

Pain

2 (2.7)

299

–

2 (100.0) / 299

–

Well being

2 (2.7)

123

–

2 (100.0) / 123

–

Disease activity

1 (1.4)

322

1 (100.0) / 322

–

–

Sexual life

1 (1.4)

63

1 (100.0) / 63

–

–

Beliefs about pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy affecting adherence

13 (17.6)

2464

10 (77.0) / 1999

2 (15.4) / 325

1 (7.6) / 140

Beliefs about cause of disease affecting coping strategies and adherence

9 (12.1)

961

8 (88.9) / 750

–

1 (11.1)/ 211

Beliefs affecting decision on therapy

1 (1.4)

142

–

1 (100.0) / 142

–

Beliefs affecting detection, tolerance and reporting of side effects

1 (1.4)

29

1 (100.0) / 29

–

–

  1. N number; RA rheumatoid arthritis, aSome articles reported more than one category of beliefs