IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS) e- ISSN: 2320–1959.p- ISSN: 2320–1940 Volume 7, Issue 3 Ver. VII (May-June .2018), PP 83-91 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/1959-0703078391 www.iosrjournals.org 83 | Page Relation between Knowledge, Medication Adherence, and Quality of Life, among gouty arthritis patients Eman Heggy 1 , Bahia Galal 2 ,Sheren Shrief 3 , Omaima Mohamed Elalem 2 1 (Lecturer of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing - Mansoura University) 2 (Lecturer of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing - Port-Said University) 3 (Lecturer of Medical - Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing – BeniSuif University) 2 (Lecturer of Family & Community Nursing, Faculty of Nursing-Port-Said University) Corresponding auther: Eman Heggy Abstract: Background:Gout is actually a form of arthritis. It is the body's reaction to irritating crystal deposits in the joints. Gouty arthritis is characterized by acute, intermittent, inflammatory arthritis that evolves over many years to chronic inflammatory polyarthritis. In severe cases, tophaceousurate deposits and inflammatory arthritis may lead to deformity, disability, and radiographic destruction.Aim: wasto find the relation betweenknowledge, medication adherence, and quality of life among gouty arthritis patients. Research design: A correlational research design was used. Subjects: A convenience sample consisting of 300 patients diagnosed with gouty arthritis. Setting: outpatient clinics of rheumatology, Mansoura and BeniSeuif University Hospitals, within 6 months. Three tools were used in data collection; 1. A structured interview questionnaire sheet consisting of three parts: socio- demographic data, medical history, and patients’ knowledge, 2.Mourisky Adherence Scale, 3.Quality of life scale for pain. Results: there was a positive correlation between duration of gout and total adherence scores of the study subjects. However, there was a negative correlation with significant statistical differences between the duration of disease, total knowledge, and total quality of life scores. Conclusion: There was a positive correlation with significant statistical differences between total adherence scores of patients with gouty arthritis with their total knowledge and total quality of life scores. Recommendation: Develop and implementself-managementprogram to improve knowledge, medication adherence, and quality of life for patients with gouty arthritis. Keywords: Knowledge, Medication Adherence, Quality of Life for pain, gouty arthritis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 02-06-2018 Date of acceptance: 18-06-2018 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction Gout is the most prevalent inflammatory arthropathy, Gouty arthritis is of the most primitive diseases recognized as a clinical entity, was first documented by the Egyptians in 2640 BC, when the Egyptians described it as an arthritis affecting the great toe [1] . Acute gouty arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by acute intermittent episodes of synovitis presenting with joint swelling and pain which is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, that may progress to a chronic intermittent condition, further to the development of tophi (solid deposits of monosodium urate [MSU] crystals in joints, cartilage, and bones), a condition called chronic tophaceous gout [2&3]. Gouty arthritis is estimated to be one of the most common types of inflammatory joint disease; affecting 1- 1.5 % of the world’s population, affects at least 8 million people in the United States alone, and 1.4% of the adult population in the UK. In the western countries, gout affects more than 1% of adults. This number is on the rise around the world [4] . According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the prevalence of gout appears to be increasing. In addition of that, the rise in the prevalence of gout has paralleled the increase in prevalence of conditions associated with hyperuricemia, including obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and renal insufficiency. The most commonly affected joints are the first metatarsophalangeal joint (1st MTPJ), mid foot and ankle [5] . The American College of Rheumatology [ACR]) put preliminary criteria for the classification of the acute arthritis of primary gout. These preliminary criteria were intended for identifying the acute arthritis of gout and not necessarily for inter critical gout, the spectrum of comparator diseases was limited, and physician diagnosis was the gold standard [6] . Gout requires sustained treatment with urate-lowering drugs (ULDs) to reduce the frequency of