POS0729 EFFECT OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
Authors: G. Serna-Peña, E. Campos-Tinajero, M. F. Ortiz-Nuño, D. P. Flores-Gutierrez, J. A. Esquivel-Valerio, G. Garcia-Arellano, J. A. Cardenas-de la Garza, E. Aguilar-Rivera, D. A. Galarza-Delgado
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder that predominantly affects young women. Psychological factors, particularly stress and trauma, have a clinical impact on SLE. However, the specific impact of violence on this disease remains unknown. <h3>Objectives:</h3> We aimed to assess the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in women with SLE and its impact on quality of life. <h3>Methods:</h3> We conducted a cross-sectional study from September 2022 to September 2023 at an outpatient rheumatology clinic. We included women ≥18 years old, with a diagnosis of SLE by EULAR/ACR 2019 criteria, with ≥2 follow-ups in the last 12 months, and with at least one romantic partner throughout life. Patients with other rheumatic diseases and those who did not consent to participate were excluded. IPV was evaluated with the Hurt, Insulted, Threaten with Harm and Screamed at (HITS) questionnaire and the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA). Quality of life was assessed by LupusQoL. The presence of pain (abdominal pain, joint or muscle pain, pain during urination, lower back pain and headaches) was evaluated with visual analogue scales (VAS) from 1 to 10. Clinical data included the Physician Global Assessment (PGA), SLE Disease Activity Index-2K (SLEDAI-2K), and SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI). <h3>Results:</h3> We included 85 women with SLE with a median age of 36 years (IQR: 26-47.5). The majority (n = 80/ 94.1%) were engaged in household chores, and more than half (n = 59/ 69.4%) had a partner at the time of the study. The median SLEDAI-2K was 0 (IQR: 0-4) and the PGA was 0 (IQR: 0-0.5); only 7 patients (8.2%) had organ damage according to the SDI. The prevalence of past-year IPV by HITS was 24.4% (20) and lifetime IPV was 36.5% (31). Women exposed to IPV in the past year (by HITS score) had lower scores in total quality of life (p = 0.018) and in the emotional domain (p = 0.036) by LupusQoL compared to those who were not victims (Table 1). Weak positive correlations were observed between HITS scores and disease activity scales (Table 2): lifetime HITS score with SLEDAI-2K (rho = 0.277, p = 0.010) and PGA (rho = 0.329, p = 0.002); past-year HITS score with PGA (rho = 0.301, p = 0.006). While there were no significant differences in the prevalence of pain between groups, women who had experienced violence in the past year reported higher severity of abdominal pain (p = 0.012), arthralgia/myalgia (p = 0.039), and lower back pain (p = 0.036) as assessed by VAS. Victims of lifetime IPV also reported higher severity of abdominal pain (p = 0.028) and arthralgia/myalgia (p = 0.029). <h3>Conclusion:</h3> We found that 1 in 4 women with SLE had suffered IPV in the previous year. Those exposed had diminished quality of life, and the severity of the abuse experienced correlated with disease activity. Even though the prevalence of pain was not higher in victims, the pain severity was worse in these groups. Our findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive care in patients with SLE. <b>Table 1.</b> Quality of life by LupusQoL of women who experienced and did not experience IPV LupusQoL: lupus quality of life, IPV: intimate partner violence, IQR: interquartile range, SD: standard deviation <sup>1</sup>Mann Whitney U test <sup>2</sup>Student's t-test <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> <b>None declared.</b>