Table 1.
Demographic and disease characteristics of study participants by ED utilization.
| ED utilization (number of visits) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variables | None (n=499) |
1–2 (n=230) |
≥3 (n=78) |
P Value |
| Percent of total sample | 61.7% | 28.5% | 9.7% | |
| Percent of total ED visits | 0 | 41.9% | 58.% | |
| Demographics | ||||
| Age, mean years (SD) | 47.6 (13.1) | 49.0 (12.5) | 44.5 (11.5) | 0.028 |
| Female, % | 91.6 | 91.3 | 94.9 | 0.581 |
| Caucasian, % | 74.8 | 76.1 | 65.8 | 0.201 |
| Married or living with partner, % | 63.1 | 57.4 | 48.7 | 0.033 |
| Education | ||||
| Less than high school, % | 2.0 | 3.9 | 5.1 | |
| High school graduate, % | 10.6 | 14.8 | 10.3 | |
| Some college, no degree, % | 24.6 | 23.6 | 41.0 | |
| Associate degree/trade or vocational school | 19.4 | 21.4 | 21.8 | 0.009 |
| College graduate, % | 25.3 | 20.1 | 10.3 | |
| Master’s/PhD/Professional degree | 18.0 | 16.2 | 11.5 | |
| Employed, % | 54.1 | 43.0 | 25.6 | <0.001 |
| Below poverty level, % | 9.1 | 14.0 | 27.3 | <0.001 |
| Disease Characteristics | ||||
| Disease duration, mean years (SD) | 13.8 (8.9) | 13.4 (7.7) | 13.8 (8.0) | 0.869 |
| Disease activity (SLAQ), mean score (SD) | 10.9 (7.8) | 13.6 (7.5) | 16.9 (8.8) | <0.001 |
| Flare in last 3 months, % | 42.4 | 51.8 | 54.5 | 0.021 |
| SF-12 | ||||
| MCS-12, mean score (SD) | 49.8 (13.0) | 45.7 (13.0) | 41.2 (14.5) | <0.001 |
| PCS-12, mean score (SD) | 38.0 (6.0) | 36.5 (6.8) | 36.1 (6.2) | 0.002 |
| Renal involvement, % | 15.8 | 24.5 | 43.7 | <0.001 |
| Ever been on dialysis, % | 6 | 8 | 13 | 0.129 |
| Lung involvement, % | 16.2 | 23.5 | 37.3 | <0.001 |
| Pleurisy, % | 22.9 | 32.3 | 48.1 | <0.001 |
| Pericarditis, % | 2.8 | 6.1 | 13.2 | <0.001 |
| Hemoptysis, % | 3.2 | 7.0 | 5.1 | 0.073 |
| CESD, mean score (SD) | 12.9 (12.0) | 16.7 (11.6) | 23.7 (16.2) | <0.001 |
| CESD score 16 or higher, % | 30.9 | 45.9 | 65.4 | <0.001 |
| Medication use | ||||
| Hydroxychloroquine | 56.4 | 55.2 | 60.3 | 0.740 |
| Any DMARD | 29.5 | 29.1 | 41.0 | 0.103 |
| Corticosteroids | 54.2 | 60.7 | 73.1 | 0.004 |
SD: Standard Deviation; DMARD: Disease Modifying Anti-rheumatic Drug; CESD:Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; SF-12: Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-12; MCS-12: Mental Component Summary; PCS Physical Component Summary;