Table 1. Interview guidelines.

Introductory questions

Have you ever experienced problems with your joints? ○ If yes: when; what did you do; who did you tell; how did you cope; how worried were you; How worried would you be now if you developed joint problems? What would worry you the most? What would you do in the future? (if you developed joint problems) How would having joint problems affect your life? OR How severe would a joint problem have to be to affect your life?

Specific symptoms

Swollen joints

What would you think if you noticed your fingers were swollen? What would you attribute swollen fingers to? Would swollen fingers worry you? What would you do about it? If your feet were swollen would you feel differently or would your actions be different? ○ If different: Why do you think that is? ○ Would it worry you?

Joint stiffness in the morning

What would you think if you woke one morning and found that your joints were stiff? What would you attribute it to? What would you do about it? What would you do if the stiff feeling did not disappear for over an hour? What would you do if this continued for a week/one month/six months/one year? At what point would you become worried or anxious about feeling stiff in the morning?

Painful joints

What would you do if you experienced pain in one of your joints (e.g. of your fingers?) What would you do if you experienced pain in two joints (e.g. in more than one finger)? What would you do if you experienced pain in three or more joints (e.g. lots of fingers on both hands)? If your feet were in pain would you feel differently or would your actions be different? Would painful joints in your hands/ feet/ elsewhere worry you?

Knowledge of RA

What do you understand about what may cause joint pain? Tell me what you know about arthritis in general? Tell me what you know about rheumatoid arthritis? What symptoms would you associate with rheumatoid arthritis? What symptoms would you associate with osteoarthritis? What would be the difference between rheumatoid arthritis and other joint problems? What do you know about what goes on in the joints with rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis Do you know anyone with rheumatoid arthritis?*

Illness perceptions about RA

Is rheumatoid arthritis a serious condition? If you were told you had rheumatoid arthritis, how long do you think it would last? How would you know you had the condition, what signs would there be? With whom do you associate arthritis/ rheumatoid arthritis (i.e. who is the typical patient)? What would be the consequences of having rheumatoid arthritis for day-to-day living? What are the causes of rheumatoid arthritis? Do you think you would be able to control rheumatoid arthritis yourself? Would you need medical help? Do you think there are treatments available that would effetely treat rheumatoid arthritis? What kind of treatments do you know?

^*Answers to this question used to identify whether participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria current analysis