Table 1

Baseline predictors of work disability days per patient-observation year (continuation ratio logistic model; dependent variable is made up of four ordinal levels: 0 days, 1–19 days, 20–149 days, and 150–365 days) and for RA related disability pensions (Cox’s proportional hazard regression model) in a 5 year follow up of 162 patients with RA

Variable at start of the study	Work disability days				RA related disability pensions
	Univariate		Multivariate*		Univariate		Multivariate*
	OR (95% CI†)	p Value	OR (95% CI†)	p Value	HR (95% CI†)	p Value	HR (95% CI†)	p Value
*Forward stepwise method. Only entered variables shown; †with robust estimator of variance.
Male	0.79 (0.50 to 1.26)	0.33			0.87 (0.45 to 1.67)	0.68
Age (years)	1.06 (1.03 to 1.08)	<0.001	1.03 (1.00 to 1.06)	0.050	1.12 (1.06 to 1.17)	<0.001	1.13 (1.08 to 1.19)	<0.001
Education (years):		<0.001		0.016		0.034
0–9	2.86 (1.54 to 5.31)		2.40 (1.18 to 4.88)		3.02 (1.14 to 8.00)
10–13	1.42 (0.73 to 2.76)		1.58 (0.78 to 3.19)		1.40 (0.44 to 4.41)
⩾14	Reference				Reference
“Blue collar” profession	1.57 (1.00 to 2.46)	0.052			1.66 (0.87 to 3.14)	0.12
Delay to treatment (>4 months)	0.81 (0.50 to 1.39)	0.39			0.89 (0.46 to 1.73)	0.74
Rheumatoid factor present	1.10 (0.67 to 1.79)	0.72			1.66 (0.77 to 3.61)	0.20
Swollen joint count	1.01 (0.98 to 1.05)	0.49			1.00 (0.96 to 1.05)	0.94
Tender joint count	1.03 (1.00 to 1.06)	0.031			1.02 (0.99 to 1.05)	0.16
Global assessment:
Patient’s assessment ⩾50	1.86 (1.18 to 2.94)	0.008	1.77 (1.00 to 3.16)	0.049	2.33 (1.23 to 4.43)	0.010	2.07 (1.05 to 4.09)	0.035
Physician’s assessment ⩾50	2.38 (1.48 to 3.82)	<0.001	1.85 (1.03 to 3.32)	0.041	2.10 (1.13 to 3.88)	0.019
ESR (mm/1st h)	1.01 (1.00 to 1.02)	0.028			1.01 (1.00 to 1.02)	0.19
Erosive	0.70 (0.44 to 1.10)	0.12			0.71 (0.37 to 1.36)	0.30
HAQ score ⩾1.0	1.96 (1.23 to 3.11)	0.005	1.78 (1.01 to 3.14)	0.046	2.09 (1.12 to 3.91)	0.020	2.04 (1.09 to 3.82)	0.026
Combination treatment	0.55 (0.35 to 0.87)	0.01	0.59 (0.35 to 0.99)	0.047	0.64 (0.34 to 1.21)	0.17