Baseline characteristics by propensity score quintiles of patients
| Quintiles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Women, n (%) | 126 (85.1) | 121 (81.8) | 105 (70.9) | 108 (73.0) | 105 (70.9) |
| Age, mean (SD) | 48.8 (13.4) | 47.2 (13.3) | 48.7 (12.4) | 48.5 (11.5) | 47.0 (12.0) |
| Body mass index, mean (SD) | 27.5 (5.4) | 25.2 (4.4) | 24.6 (4.3) | 24.4 (4.2) | 23.6 (3.7) |
| Symptom duration, mean (SD) | 60.4 (51.6) | 65.9 (51.1) | 60.3 (50.7) | 81.1 (62.5) | 108.9 (129.6) |
| Income, n (%) | |||||
| <€610 | 72 (48.6) | 29 (19.6) | 13 (8.8) | 16 (10.8) | 11 (7.4) |
| €610–1220 | 57 (38.5) | 74 (50.0) | 55 (37.2) | 33 (22.3) | 21 (14.2) |
| €1220–1830 | 13 (8.8) | 28 (18.9) | 48 (32.4) | 53 (35.8) | 55 (37.2) |
| €1830–2440 | 5 (3.4) | 12 (8.1) | 12 (8.1) | 29 (19.6) | 35 (23.6) |
| >€2440 | 1 (0.7) | 5 (3.4) | 20 (13.5) | 17 (11.5) | 26 (17.6) |
| Professional status, n (%) | |||||
| Full-time | 37 (25.0) | 76 (51.4) | 71 (48.0) | 88 (59.5) | 93 (62.8) |
| Part-time | 19 (12.8) | 9 (6.1) | 19 (12.8) | 12 (8.1) | 19 (12.8) |
| Retired | 32 (21.6) | 31 (20.9) | 34 (23.0) | 24 (16.2) | 21 (14.2) |
| Homemaker | 6 (4.1) | 11 (7.4) | 9 (6.1) | 17 (11.5) | 12 (8.1) |
| Other | 54 (36.5) | 21 (14.2) | 15 (10.1) | 7 (4.7) | 3 (2.0) |
| Morning stiffness, n (%) | |||||
| No | 1 (0.7) | 3 (2.0) | 2 (1.4) | 14 (9.5) | 36 (24.3) |
| <1 h | 52 (35.1) | 46 (31.1) | 62 (41.9) | 64 (43.2) | 69 (46.6) |
| >1 h | 95 (64.2) | 99 (66.9) | 84 (56.8) | 70 (47.3) | 43 (29.1) |
| Pain (VAS), mean (SD) | 60.9 (23.9) | 62.5 (25.6) | 53.8 (27.0) | 53.6 (22.4) | 48.3 (25.6) |
| Number of tender joints*, median (IQR) | 11.0 (7.0 to 16.5) | 9.0 (5.5 to 15.0) | 6.0 (4.0 to 13.5) | 5.0 (3.0 to 10.5) | 2.0 (1.0 to 5.0) |
| Number of swollen joints*, median (IQR) | 8.0 (5.0 to 12.0) | 7.0 (4.0 to 12.0) | 6.0 (3.0 to 10.0) | 6.0 (3.0 to 10.5) | 3.0 (2.0 to 6.0) |
| Disease activity score*, mean (SD) | 5.8 (1.1) | 5.5 (1.1) | 5.2 (1.3) | 4.9 (1.3) | 4.3 (1.3) |
| State of health, median (IQR) | 50.0 (49.5–75.0) | 55.0 (40.0 to 75.0) | 60.0 (40.0 to 79.5) | 67.0 (46.0 to 75.0) | 70.0 (50.0 to 75.0) |
| HAQ, mean (SD) | 1.3 (0.7) | 1.1 (0.7) | 1.0 (0.7) | 0.9 (0.7) | 0.7 (0.6) |
| C-reactive protein, median (IQR) | 12.0 (5.0 to 26.0) | 9.0 (0.0 to 24.5) | 8.5 (0.0 to 25.5) | 8.0 (0.0 to 24.5) | 9.0 (0.0 to 21.0) |
| Rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP antibodies positivity, n (%) | 80 (54.1) | 83 (56.1) | 85 (57.4) | 84 (56.8) | 82 (55.4) |
| Human leukocyte antigen DRB*01 or 04 positivity, n (%) | 71 (48.0) | 78 (52.7) | 76 (51.4) | 74 (50.0) | 86 (58.1) |
| Erosion score, median (IQR) | 1.0 (0.0 to 4.0) | 1.0 (0.0 to 3.0) | 2.0 (0.0 to 5.0) | 1.0 (0.0 to 3.0) | 1.0 (0.0 to 3.0) |
| Missing values | 13 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 13 |
Quintile 1 represents patients with the lowest probability of being treated in accordance with the recommendations; quintile 5 represents patients with the highest probability of being treated in accordance with the recommendations, according to baseline characteristics.
anti-CCP, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide; HAQ, health assessment questionnaire; VAS, visual analogue scale.
↵* disease activity score on 28 joints: number of tender and swollen joints among 28 joints.