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Abstract
ABSTRACT Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients are living longer with an unpredictable and incurable chronic condition (Dua, Touma, Toloze, & Jolly, 2013). Quality of life research allows insight into the impact of SLE and SLE treatments on different life domains from the patients’ perspective. Despite knowing that quality of life in SLE patients is significantly lower than the general population, the relationships and roles of variables such as self-efficacy, social support, and race on quality of life in SLE patients are not well understood (Chaigne et al., 2017; Jolly, 2005; & Kuriya et al; 2008). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of self-efficacy (SEMCD), positive social support (ISEL-12), problematic social support (Problematic Support Scale), and race on Health-Related (H-R QoL) and Non-Health-Related Quality of Life (N-H-R QoL) utilizing a lupus specific quality of life instrument (LupusPro). For this study, 344 participants were recruited from SLE support sites on Facebook and through Rheumatologist offices throughout the country. The majority of participants were White (72%), females (97%) with an average age of 45 years old. Results of multiple regressions indicate self-efficacy and problematic social support accounted for 38% of the variance in Health-Related Quality of Life. Positive support did not demonstrate a significant relationship. Positive social support, self-efficacy, and problematic social support accounted for 25% of the variance in Non-Health-Related Quality of Life. Race did not demonstrate a significant impact on Health-Related or Non-Health-Related Quality of Life.