Characteristics of the included studies.
| Study, Yr, Location | Study Design | Sex | Disease Duration, Mean ± SMD, Yrs | Study Group, Case/total | Control Group, Case/total | Study Group, Mean Age ± SMD, Yrs | Control Group, Mean Age ± SMD, Yrs | Criteria for RA Diagnosis | SD Assessment | Variable Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orellana20, 2008, Spain | Cross-sectional | F | NA | 22/26 | 11/20 | 50.6 ± 10.1 | 45.9 ± 8.5 | ACR | CSFQ | Marital status, education level |
| Keller21, 2012, Taipei | Case–control | M | NA | 130/6130 | 391/37,860 | 18–80 | 18–80 | ICD-9-CM 714.0 | ICD-9-CM 607.84 | Hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, obesity, alcohol abuse |
| Aras22, 2013, Turkey | Case–control | F | 9.3 | 97/104 | 53/82 | 48.65 ± 8.59 | 46.71 ± 7.65 | ACR | FSFI | Age |
| Coskun23, 2014, Turkey | Cross-sectional | F | NA | 22/32 | 3/20 | 38.43 ± 6.94 | 39.30 ± 5.52 | ACR | Turkish version of FSFI | Age |
| Maasoumi24, 2014, Iran | Case–control | F | 12.17 ± 5.58 | 40/50 | 13/50 | 36.68 ± 8.7 | 33.82 ± 7.7 | Clinical symptoms and ACR | FSFI | Age, educational status, occupational status |
| Hari25, 2015, Morocco | Cross-sectional | F | 6 | 46/60 | 19/40 | 45.95 ± 9.3 | 45.01 ± 9.2 | ACR/ EULAR | FSFI | Age |
| Khnaba26, 2016, Morocco | Cross-sectional | F | 5.7 | 46/60 | 17/31 | 45.18 ± 8.76 | NA | ACR/ EULAR | FSFI | NA |
SMD: standard mean difference; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; SD: sexual dysfunction; NA: not available; ACR: American College of Rheumatology; ICD-9-CM: International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification; CSFQ: Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire; EULAR: European League Against Rheumatism; FSFI: Female Sexual Function Index.