Impact of parenting on patient-reported outcomes in female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A cross-sectional study of the LUNA registry

Objectives Although pregnancy and childbirth are critical for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), patients who continue to parent their children during treatment have received little attention. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of parenting on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with SLE. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from the Lupus Registry of Nationwide Institutions. The participants were females with SLE. The exposure was parenting, categorized according to the children’s age (including young children [0–5 years] and school-aged children [6–18 years]). The primary outcome was QoL, which was measured using the Lupus Patient-Reported Outcomes (LupusPRO) scale. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the association between parenting and QoL adjusted for patient age, number of children, disease activity, disability, living with a spouse, caregiving, and glucocorticoid dosage as confounding factors. Results Overall, 630 patients (median age, 44 years; median disease duration, 12 years) were included: 71 with young children, 50 with school-aged children only, and 509 without children. None of the LupusPRO scores were significantly lower in patients with children than in patients without children. Patients with young children had significantly better cognitive scores (memory and concentration) than those without children (regression coefficient: 12.16, 95% confidence interval: 0.97–23.35, p = 0.033). Conclusion Parenting of young children did not worsen QoL in patients with SLE; rather, it was associated with better cognitive function. These findings may help reduce anxiety or hesitation regarding parenting among patients with SLE who wish to become mothers.