Table 1.
Baseline demographics and disease characteristics stratified by 24‐week adherence
| Baseline Characteristics | All Patients | ≤1 Interrupted Week | ≥2 Interrupted Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Na | 60 | 19 | 41 |
| Age, mean (SD), years | 59.6 (10.8) | 59.2 (9.7) | 59.7 (11.4) |
| Male, % | 8.3 | 10.5 | 7.3 |
| Employed, % | 30.0 | 26.3 | 31.7 |
| Non‐Hispanic Caucasian, % | 88.3 | 94.7 | 85.4 |
| BMI, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 28.8 (7.9) (N = 59) | 29.4 (8.7) | 28.6 (7.6) (N = 40) |
| Duration of education, mean (SD), years | 14.5 (2.5) | 14.4 (2.1) | 14.6 (2.7) |
| Total income (US$), mean (SD) | $67 203.4 (37 637.9) (N = 59) | $66 842.1 (30 102.2) | $67 375.0 (41 090.7) (N = 40) |
| Insurance type, % | |||
| Private | 27.1 (N = 59) | 15.8 | 32.5 (N = 40) |
| HMO | 8.5 (N = 59) | … | 12.5 (N = 40) |
| Medicare | 42.4 (N = 59) | 57.9 | 35.0 (N = 40) |
| PPO | 10.2 (N = 59) | 21.1 | 5.0 (N = 40) |
| Medicaid | 11.9 (N = 59) | 5.3 | 15.0 (N = 40) |
| Duration of disease, mean (SD), years | 17.8 (15.1) | 18.5 (16.7) | 17.5 (14.5) |
| Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (0‐9)b, mean (SD) | 1.5 (1.5) | 1.3 (1.7) | 1.5 (1.4) |
| HAQ (0‐3)c, mean (SD) | 1.2 (0.7) (N = 59) | 1.1 (0.8) | 1.2 (0.7) (N = 40) |
| HAQ‐II (0‐3)c, mean (SD) | 1.0 (0.7) | 0.8 (0.7) | 1.1 (0.7) |
| PAS (0‐10)d, mean (SD) | 3.5 (2.2) (N = 52) | 3.4 (2.7) (N = 17) | 3.6 (2.0) (N = 35) |
| PAS‐II (0‐10)d, mean (SD) | 3.6 (2.1) | 3.5 (2.6) | 3.7 (1.9) |
| EQ‐5D, mean (SD) | 0.8 (0.2) (N = 52) | 0.8 (0.2) (N = 17) | 0.7 (0.1) (N = 35) |
| RADAI (0‐10)d, mean (SD) | 2.8 (1.6) | 2.6 (1.8) | 2.9 (1.4) |
| Pain VAS (0‐10)e, mean (SD) | 3.7 (2.5) | 3.8 (3.0) | 3.7 (2.3) |
| Fatigue VAS (0‐10)e, mean (SD) | 4.9 (3.0) | 5.0 (3.5) | 4.8 (2.8) |
| PtGA VAS (0‐10)e, mean (SD) | 3.8 (2.5) | 4.0 (3.1) | 3.7 (2.2) |
| Duration of prior MTX use, mean (SD), monthsf | 31.5 (44.8) (N = 59) | 20.8 (36.6) | 36.5 (47.8) (N = 40) |
| Prior MTX use, %g | 66.7 | 63.2 | 68.3 |
| MTX dose, mean (SD)h | 14.1 (5.5) (N = 58) | 15.0 (5.8) (N = 18) | 13.6 (5.3) (N = 40) |
| Prior bDMARDs,% | 70.0 | 68.4 | 70.7 |
| Prior non‐MTX csDMARDs,% | 66.7 | 63.2 | 68.3 |
| Concomitant RA treatment, % | 45.0 | 36.8 | 48.8 |
| bDMARDs | 40.0 | 31.6 | 43.9 |
| csDMARDs | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| BMQ, mean (SD) | |||
| General Harm (4‐20) | 8.1 (2.8) (N = 59) | 8.4 (3.1) | 8.0 (2.7) (N = 40) |
| General Overuse (4‐20) | 11.0 (3.3) (N = 59) | 11.4 (3.6) | 10.8 (3.1) (N = 40) |
| Specific Necessity (5‐25) | 20.4 (3.7) (N = 59) | 20.8 (3.8) | 20.1 (3.7) (N = 40) |
| Specific Concerns (6‐30) | 17.3 (4.6) (N = 59) | 18.0 (4.9) | 17.0 (4.4) (N = 40) |
| Total number of medications | 11.0 (6.9) (N = 58) | 10.5 (5.7) (N = 18) | 11.3 (7.4) (N = 40) |
Abbreviation: bDMARD, biologic DMARD; BMI, body mass index; BMQ, Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire; csDMARD, conventional synthetic DMARD; DMARD, disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug; EQ‐5D, EuroQoL‐5D; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; HMO, Health Maintenance Organization; MTX, methotrexate; PAS, Patient Activity Scale; PPO, Preferred Provider Organization; PtGA, Patient Global Assessment of Disease Activity; RADAI, Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index; SD, standard deviation; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.
aExcept where indicated. bOut of 11 comorbidities; higher score indicates more comorbidities. cHigher score indicates worse function and greater disability. dHigher score indicates higher levels of disease activity. eHigher score indicates greater intensity/severity. fAlthough 31 (52.5%) patients had prior use of MTX (duration ≥12 months), these patients stopped MTX for 12 months before starting their current MTX course. gOf which 9 patients (15%) had prior exposure to subcutaneous MTX. hAt most recent questionnaire. iHigher scores on General Harm and General Overuse indicate negative attitudes toward medicines. Higher scores on Specific‐Necessity indicate stronger beliefs in the necessity of medicines. Higher scores on Specific‐Concerns indicate stronger concerns about dependency, toxicity, and disruption.