Table 3.

Themes and subthemes

Theme title	Subthemes
1. Identity beliefs	Reported lack of knowledge
	Perceived symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
	Underlying processes (wear and tear; inflammation)
	RA as a systemic disease or autoimmune disease
2. Illness cause	Natural part of the ageing process
	Result of specific (sports) activity or occupation or an injury to the joint
	Role of specific foods and diet
	Hereditary factor
	Different causes for symptoms in feet as opposed to hands
3. Illness consequences	Impact on mobility, resulting in restrictions for social activities
	Impact of symptoms on daily activities, the ability to work, driving
	Emotional consequences
	Loss of independence
4. Illness timeline	RA is lifelong
	No cure (might even shorten life expectancy)
	Disease progression
5. Illness controllability	Perceived lack of knowledge about the specific treatments available
	Specific medical treatments for the management of RA
	Symptomatic relief with analgesia, including anti‐inflammatory medications
	Symptom management through physio‐ or hydrotherapy
	Symptom management through lifestyle changes
	Use of appliances to make coping with the consequences of RA easier
	Self‐management (e.g. over‐the‐counter medication)