類風濕性關節炎之病程變化易伴隨疼痛、關節僵硬及進行性失能等問題，病患之生活品質是個值得關注的健康議題。本研究在探討類風濕性關節炎中老年患者之疾病嚴重度與罹病時間、關節疼痛、日常活動功能、無助感和生活品質相關性，並分析生活品質之預測因子。採橫斷式設計，158位50歲以上門診類風濕性關節炎中老年患者為研究對象，結果發現：罹病年數、疼痛程度、疾病活動度、日常活動功能、無助感與生活品質之整體生理健康構面呈高度之負相關(p<.01)。而疼痛程度、疾病活動度、日常活動功能、無助感與生活品質之整體心理健康構面具顯著負相關(p<.01)。經階層式逐步迴歸分析，顯示罹病年數、疼痛程度、疾病活動度、日常活動功能及無助感等範疇，在生活品質之整體生理健康構面部分，可提供63.8%的解釋量，而在整體心理健康構面部分，則可提供26.4%的解釋量，其中以疼痛對整體生理健康構面之生活品質的預測力最為顯著(β=-0.627, p=.000)。研究結果可增進醫護人員對類風濕性關節炎中老年患者生活品質之了解。此外，疼痛控制、延緩失能與降低殘障程度是類風濕性關節炎照護所需關注的焦點，而無助感對於心理層面的影響力也不容忽視。

The pain, stiffness, swollen joints and progressive disability caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) makes it vital for healthcare providers to identify measures that enhance quality of life (QOL) for sufferers of this chronic disease. To date, very few studies have focused on QOL in middle-aged and older patients with RA in Taiwan. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to investigate the effects on QOL of disease severity, duration, pain, daily function, and sense of helplessness among middle-aged and older outpatients with RA. RA patients aged 50 and over were recruited (N=158) from the outpatient clinic of a medical center in Taiwan. Data gathered and analyzed by hierarchical multiple regression included information on demographics, degree of pain, disease activity, daily function, and selfperception of helplessness. Length of time with RA diagnosis, severity of pain, disease activity, daily function, and sense of helplessness were found to correlate negatively with physical QOL (p<.01), and severity of pain, disease activity, daily function, and sense of helplessness were found to correlate negatively with the mental dimension of QOL (p<.01). Under hierarchical multiple regression, RA history, degree of pain, disease activity, daily function, and helplessness were found to explain 63.8% of total variance in the QOL physical component and 26.4% in the mental component. Degree of pain was the most significant factor to predict the QOL physical component (β= -.627, p=.000). Findings of this study suggest that health care professionals should consider how best to assist patients suffering from RA to relieve pain and delay the onset of disabilities. Findings also suggest that great benefit can be realized by lessening the sense of hopelessness felt by patients.