RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Sociodemographic factors and the outcome of rheumatoid arthritis in young women.
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 803
OP 806
DO 10.1136/ard.53.12.803
VO 53
IS 12
A1 T P Vliet Vlieland
A1 N A Buitenhuis
A1 D van Zeben
A1 J P Vandenbroucke
A1 F C Breedveld
A1 J M Hazes
YR 1994
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/53/12/803.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE--To investigate the impact of sociodemographic factors on the outcome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS--A group of 138 women with RA of recent onset and a mean duration of follow up of 5.8 years was studied. Additional information on sociodemographic variables at disease onset (level of formal education, marital status and employment status) was related to the initial disease severity and various outcome measures. RESULTS--Patients with lower levels of education showed a trend towards a worse outcome, according to Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score, erosion score and the patient's and physician's assessment of outcome at the last visit. However, we also found a trend towards an association between lower levels of education and more severe disease at onset, as measured by HAQ score, erosion score and the number of painful and swollen joints. The association between lower levels of education and poorer outcome of RA was weakened after correction for the initial disease severity. Results of other sociodemographic variables were equivocal. CONCLUSIONS--Differences in severity of RA between patients with different levels of education develop or are present in the early stages of the disease.