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.