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. 2014 Nov 20;2014:816729. doi: 10.1155/2014/816729

Table 1.

Demographic characteristics of patient participant groups.

Borderline SLE
ACR 3+1*
(N = 21)
SLE
ACR 4+
(N = 80)
All patients
(N = 101)
One-way ANVOVA

Mean ± SD Mean ± SD Mean ± SD P value

Age (years) 51.3 ± 9.9 47.7 ± 13.5 48.4 ± 12.9
Diagnosis (years) 9 ± 8.3 7.7 ± 6.2 7.7 ± 6.7
Medical review frequency 18.5 ± 14 21.3 ± 24.5 20.7 ± 22.7 0.01
Current health score (VAS scale)** 61.3 ± 15 55.3 ± 23.3 56.5 ± 21.9 0.02
Stress score (VAS scale)*** 42.3 ± 29.8 50.1 ± 27.4 48.5 ± 28
Outdoor hours per year 581.2 ± 428 490.5 ± 433 509.4 ± 431.5
Average hours outdoors per day 1.6 ± 1.2 1.3 ± 1.2 1.4 ± 1.2
Body Mass Index score 27.3 ± 5.9 27.4 ± 5.6 27.4 ± 5.6

no. (%) no. (%) no. (%) P value

Comorbidity
 Autoimmune illness other than SLE 15 (71.4) 47 (58.8) 62 (61.4)
 Other illnesses not autoimmune 16 (76.2) 50 (62.5) 66 (65.4)
Ethnicity
 Caucasian 21 (100) 78 (97.5) 99 (98)
 Other (Asian) 2 (2.5) 2 (2)
Educational background 0.0
 Year 9 (15 years) 9 (42.9) 8 (10.0) 17 (16.8)
 School certificate/leaving Certificate 4 (19.1) 24 (30.0) 28 (27.7)
 Higher school certificate 1 (4.8) 2 (2.5) 3.0 (3.0)
 Apprenticeship 1 (4.8) 4 (5.0) 5.0 (5.0)
 Tertiary (university/college) 3 (14.3) 36 (45.0) 39 (39.0)
 Postgraduate studies 2 (9.5) 6 (7.5) 8 (7.9)
Socioeconomic status
 Above average 2 (9.5) 15 (18.8) 17 (16.8)
 Average 17 (80.9) 56 (70.0) 73 (72.3)
 Below average 2 (9.5) 9 (11.3) 11 (10.9)
Smoking status
 Current smoker 2 (9.5) 6 (7.5) 8 (7.9)
 Past smoker 8 (38.1) 30 (37.5) 38 (37.6)
Use immune therapy medications 17 (81) 67 (83.8) 84 (83.2)
Use vitamin D supplementation 4 (19.1) 42 (52.5) 46 (45.5) 0.01
Use hormone supplementation 3 (14.3) 30 (37.5) 33 (32.8)
Regular sun 12 (57.1) 39 (48.8) 51 (50.5)
Regular sun + sunscreen 14 (66.7) 65 (81.2) 79 (78.2)
Clinical ACR SLE features
 Malar rash 8 (38.1) 57 (71.3) 65 (64.4) 0.01
 Discoid rash 3 (3.8) 3 (3)
 Photosensitivity 4 (19.1) 43 (53.8) 47 (46.5) 0.01
 Oral/nasal ulcers 29 (36.3) 29 (28.7) 0.00
 Arthritis 17 (81) 63 (78.8) 80 (79.2)
 Serositis 1 (4.8) 20 (25.0) 21 (20.8)
 Renal disorder 4 (19.1) 37 (46.3) 41 (40.6) 0.03
 Neurological disorder 6 (28.6) 33 (41.3) 39 (38.6)
 Haematological disorder 4 (19.1) 39 (48.8) 43 (42.6) 0.02
 Immunologic disorder 3 (14.3) 27 (33.8) 30 (29.7)
 Antinuclear antibody (ANA) 17 (81) 73 (91.3) 90 (89.1)
 Pharmacological challenge**** 21 (100) 75 (93.8) 96 (95)

*ACR 3+1 health record audit documented ACR criteria count + positive response to pharmacological challenge (****).

**Visual Analogue Scale score of 0–100: current Health (0) extremely Poor, (100) excellent.

***Visual Analogue Scale score of 0–100: stress level (0) no stress at all, (100) highly stressed.

****Documented positive response to pharmacological challenge of oral steroids (prednisolone) or hydroxychloroquine.