HUBUNGAN TINGKAT PENGETAHUAN DENGAN KEKAMBUHAN PASIEN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS KUMPAI BATU ATAS

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease or autoimmune reaction in which a person’s immune system can be compromised and lowered, damaging joints and the lining of the synovium, especially the hands, feet, and knees. As the number of people with rheumatoid arthritis in Indonesia increases, the awareness and misunderstanding about this disease are high. This situation explains the lack of knowledge of the Indonesian people, especially sufferers, to know more about rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis often experience recurrence. A recurrence is a recurring event experienced by the patient more than once, with a quality that often occurs. This study aimed to identify the level of knowledge, the recurrence of rheumatoid arthritis patients, and the relationship between the level of knowledge and recurrence of rheumatoid arthritis patients at Kumpai Batu Atas Public Health Center. This study used a descriptive correlation with a cross-sectional approach, and the sampling technique is purposive sampling. There are 58 respondents in this study. The measuring instrument used in this research is a questionnaire. Then, the analysis was carried out by univariate and bivariate analysis using the spearman rank test. Respondents who experienced a low level of knowledge were 48,3%, and those who experienced frequent relapses were 72,4%. In addition, the Spearman rank test analysis showed that the p-value = 0,000. There is a relationship between knowledge level and recurrence of rheumatoid arthritis patients at Kumpai Batu Atas Public Health Center.