Table I.
General characteristics of the study group of patients with ankylosing spondylitis
| Variables studied (score range) | Number of cases (%) N = 82 | Value mean (±SD) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 42.0 (±11.3) | |
| < 35 years | 28 (34.1) | |
| 36-55 years | 43 (52.4) | |
| > 55 years | 11 (13.4) | |
| Gender | ||
| Female | 9 (11) | |
| Male | 73 (89) | |
| Civil status | ||
| Married | 52 (63.4) | |
| Single/widowed | 30 (36.6) | |
| Place of residence | ||
| City | 63 (76.8) | |
| Country | 19 (23.2) | |
| Education | ||
| Elementary/vocational training | 22 (26.8) | |
| Secondary | 26 (31.7) | |
| Higher | 34 (41.5) | |
| Occupational status | ||
| Employed | 60 (73.2) | |
| Pensioner | 13 (15.9) | |
| Unemployed/student | 9 (11) | |
| Clinical form of AS | ||
| Axial | 63 (76.8) | |
| Peripheral | 19 (23.52) | |
| Duration of disease | 13 (±7.8) | |
| < 10 years | 33 (22) | |
| 11-20 years | 35 (23.3) | |
| > 20 years | 82 (54.7) | |
| AIS (8-40) | 26.9 (±9.2) | |
| BDI (0-56) | 16.8 (±15.3) | |
| Lack of depression or low mood (0-10) | 35 (42.7) | |
| Moderate depression (11-27) | 25 (30.5) | |
| Severe depression (> 28) | 22 (26.8) | |
| SOC (29-203) | 127.5 (±37.9) | |
| Components of SOC | ||
| Comprehensibility (11-71) | 46.7 (±14.1) | |
| Manageability (17-70) | 45.4 (±13.4) | |
| Meaningfulness (12-56) | 35.4 (±11.7) |
AS – ankylosing spondylitis; AIS – Acceptance of Illness Scale; BDI – Beck Depression Inventory; SOC – Sense of Coherence,