Table 1.
Descriptive statistics with p values for total sample and sample stratified by COVID-19 Living status
| Self-isolating at home (n = 230) | Not self-isolating (n = 115) | All participants (n = 345) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic Information | ||||
| Age (years) | 51.53 ± 11.82 | 51.37 ± 11.58 | 51.48 ± 11.73 | .805 |
| Gender (n = female (%)) | 214 (93.0) | 107 (93.0) | 321 (93.0) | 1.000 |
| Ethnicity (n = white (%)) | 224 (97.4) | 110 (96.5) | 334 (96.8) | .640 |
| RA duration (years from diagnosis) | 11.51 ± 10.51 | 8.52 ± 8.08* | 10.52 ± 9.87 | .012 |
| Independent variables | ||||
| LPA (minutes/week) | 150 ± 420 | 300 ± 420* | 300 ± 420 | .033 |
| Walking (minutes/week) | 60 ± 150 | 240 ± 420* | 90 ± 300 | < .001 |
| Exercise (minutes/week) | 0 ± 30 | 0 ± 30 | 0 ± 30 | .820 |
| Sedentary time (minutes/week) | 3360 ± 1823 | 3360 ± 1980 | 3360 ± 1680 | .088 |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Pain (MPQ) | 15.34 ± 9.30 | 13.12 ± 9.02* | 14.60 ± 9.26 | .024 |
| Pain (VAS rating) | 4.57 ± 2.62 | 4.10 ± 2.58 | 4.41 ± 2.62 | .095 |
| Physical fatigue | 15.25 ± 4.06 | 14.06 ± 4.15* | 14.85 ± 4.12 | .007 |
| Mental fatigue | 12.04 ± 5.00 | 11.94 ± 5.01 | 12.01 ± 5.00 | .860 |
| General fatigue | 15.88 ± 3.63 | 15.31 ± 4.21 | 15.69 ± 3.83 | .383 |
| Anxious symptoms | 9.39 ± 4.58 | 8.34 ± 4.51 | 9.04 ± 4.58 | .055 |
| Depressive symptoms | 7.39 ± 3.94 | 6.86 ± 4.04 | 7.21 ± 3.98 | .146 |
| Subjective Vitality | 2.56 ± 1.20 | 2.74 ± 1.32 | 2.62 ± 1.24 | .266 |
| Covariates | ||||
| Functional disability (HAQ-DI) | 1.33 ± 0.77 | 0.99 ± 0.69* | 1.22 ± 0.76 | < .001 |
| Living situation (n = living alone (%)) | 43 (18.7) | 17 (14.8) | 60 (17.4) | .366 |
| Education (n = higher education (%)) | 119 (51.7) | 61 (53.0) | 180 (52.2) | .819 |
| General COVID-19 Concern | 3.91 ± 0.90 | 3.62 ± 0.90* | 3.81 ± 0.91 | .003 |
Values are reported as means ± SD, except for PA and ST variables which show medians ± IQR
Living situation was characterised as living with others (i.e. partner, family) or living alone. Education was characterised as higher education (university degree, doctorate) or secondary education (GCSE/O-level, A-level/GCE)
RA rheumatoid arthritis, LPA light physical activity, MPQ McGill Pain Questionnaire, VAS Visual Analogue Scale, HAQ-DI Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index, SD standard deviation, IQR interquartile rage
*Significantly different from self-isolating at home with p < .05. Differences were examined using Mann–Whitney U and χ2 tests, as appropriate