The effects of cultural background on patient-perceived impact of psoriatic arthritis - a qualitative study conducted in Brazil and France.

Background: In psoriatic arthritis (PsA) almost all qualitative studies have been performed in European populations. This work aimed to evaluate the impact of PsA in Brazilian and French subjects, as well as to explore cultural differences in the experience of disease and to recognize domains important for patients living with PsA outside Europe.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in two university hospitals in Brazil and France; outpatients fulfilling Classification Criteria for PsA participated in individual interviews regarding the impact of PsA; interviews were conducted in the local language.