Quality of Life in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Patients in Bahrain: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) both impair health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but the two have not been compared in Bahrain. This cross-sectional study assessed HRQoL in patients with RA, with OA, and with both conditions together (RA + OA) at two Bahraini tertiary hospitals, using the validated Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index. Independent-samples t-tests and Mann–Whitney U tests compared RA with OA, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal–Wallis tests compared subgroups, and multiple linear regression identified predictors. Ninety-two patients with RA and 98 with OA participated, 17 of whom had RA + OA. Total HRQoL was comparable between RA and OA (75.4 ± 10.9 versus 76.2 ± 11.2; p = 0.606) and correlated most strongly with the health and functioning subscale (RA: ρ = 0.885; OA: ρ = 0.939). Significant differences (p < 0.05 before FDR) emerged within specific subgroups, RA patients scoring lower, most notably at ages 71 years and above. Patients with RA + OA reported significantly lower HRQoL than either single disease across multiple domains (p < 0.05 before FDR). The optimal model explained 30.3% of the variance. Predictors of quality of life (QoL) beyond diagnostic label were functional limitation, socioeconomic factors and medication use, supporting stratified, patient-centered care for high-risk subgroups and for patients with overlapping rheumatic disease.