(Health-Related) Quality of Life as an Outcome in Studies of Axial Spondyloarthritis

The most prevalent health concerns in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) include spinal stiffness, spinal pain, mobility limitations, fatigue, and disturbed sleep. Many patients experience impairments related to extraspinal disease, extra-articular disease, or drug side effects. To capture overall life impact, self-reported measurement instruments assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have been developed. This article summarizes the literature on relevant concepts and frameworks when measuring overall health or HRQoL, available measures assessing this outcome in axSpA, the hierarchical relations between overall health/ HRQoL and specific axSpA impairments, and the role of context when interpreting interventions for overall health or HRQoL outcomes.