title: [Quality of life in ankylosing spondylitis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ankylosing Spondylarthritis (AS) involves by its frequency and its repercussion on the functional capacity an important handicap and deterioration of the patients quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the handicap and the quality of life during the AS and to seek the predictive factors of the deterioration of this quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study relating to 50 patients recruited in the Department of Rheumatology of F. B. Hospital of Monastir during 6 months period (Mars to September 2008). The studied parameters were the quality of life evaluated by a specific sore (ASQOL) and a generic score (SF-12). Also the physical, social and economic felt handicap was evaluated using a qualitative scale. Predictive factors (clinical, biological and radiological) of the quality of life were carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our patients are divided in 42 men and 8 women with an average age of 38.9 ± 10.7 years. The average duration of AS is of 11.9 ± 7.6 years. The average of ASQOL is of 11.9 ± 4 (extremes: 0- 17). The average of physical SF12 is of 29.8 ± 6 (21.7-53.2) and of mental SF-12 of 35.3 ± 6.6 (22.5-55.8). The physical, social and economic felt handicap was considered to be average or important in respectively 88%, 72% and 86% of the cases. The predictive factors of a high ASQOL (faded quality of life) are absence of occupation, high BASMI, a high number of painful articulations and high BASFI, BASDAI, BASG, BASRI and EVA total pain. The factors associated to the alteration of the quality of life according to SF-12'S are male sex, professional statute, high number of painful articulations and high BASDAI, BASFI and BASRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows the important deterioration of the quality of life in AS patients. The existence of the predictive factors of quality of life primarily related to the functional capacity of the patients and to the disease activity implicates an early and adequate disease management in order to decrease this repercussion.
authors.affiliation: Sevice de Rhumatologie, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Younes
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jalled
authors.forename: Zohra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aydi
authors.forename: Kaouthar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Younes
authors.forename: Mahbouba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jguirim
authors.forename: Saoussen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zrour
authors.forename: Zohra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ben Salah
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bejia
authors.forename: Mongi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Touzi
authors.forename: Naceur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bergaoui
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*