Patient education for people of South Asian origin living with RA
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving patient education for people of South Asian origin living with rheumatoid arthritis in England
IRAS ID
356140
Contact name
Kanta Kumar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 29 days
Research summary
Our Goal:
We are testing an online programme called Apni Jung ("meaning “Our Fight" - in Hindi) against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) www.nras.org.uk/apnijung to support people from South Asian backgrounds in England living with RA. RA is a long-term condition where the immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. If not managed well, it can lead to joint damage.
The Apni Jung programme is designed for Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu speakers who face language and cultural barriers in managing their RA. It offers videos and advice that respect cultural preferences and aim to improve understanding and self-management of RA.
We want to find out if we can:
Recruit South Asian people with RA to use the Apni Jung programme and see if it helps.
Prepare for a larger study to measure the programme’s impact.
Why is this needed?
Over 20 years of research shows that South Asian people develop RA at a younger age and with more severe symptoms compared to others. Many struggle to access important RA information due to everything in clinic being in English and other language and cultural differences, leading to worse health outcomes. Apni Jung, created with the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), was designed to address this but has not yet been formally tested.How will the study work?
We’ll run the study in six early arthritis clinics, comparing two groups of South Asian people with newly diagnosed RA. One group will receive usual care, while the other will use the Apni Jung programme alongside their usual care. We'll assess both groups at the start and after three months using questionnaires in their preferred languages. We'll also interview participants about their experience with Apni Jung.
Public & Patient Partnership:
This study was developed with NRAS, South Asian people with RA, and community members who will remain involved throughout the study.
Sharing Our Findings:
If the programme is well-received, we’ll seek funding for a larger study. We’ll share our findings with researchers through top health journals and with the public through reports, a short film, and an NRAS blog.REC name
South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SC/0217
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion