Table 1.
Participant Characteristics
| Full Sample | Early RA | Established RA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD or Median [IQR] or % (n) | p-value ^ | |||
| n | 1067 | 445 | 622 | |
| Age, years | 54.2 ± 12.2 | 51.3 ± 13.0 | 56.3 ± 11.2 | <0.001 |
| Sex, women | 85% (916) | 84% (373) | 87% (543) | 0.10 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 31.6 ± 7.6 | 31.6 ± 7.8 | 31.6 ± 7.5 | 0.95 |
| Education, more than HS | 44% (465) | 43% (191) | 44% (273) | 0.77 |
| Employed, yes | 30% (322) | 41% (184) | 22% (139) | <0.001 |
| Household income, >$30k | 25% (262) | 30% (130) | 21% (132) | 0.002 |
| Comorbidities, number | 3 [2, 5] | 3 [2, 4] | 3 [2, 5] | <0.001 |
| Disease duration, months | 37 [13, 138] | 11 [6, 17] | 117.5 [60, 213] | n/a |
| DMARD use, yes | 85% (904) | 82% (365) | 87% (539) | 0.04 |
| Disease Activity (DAS28-CRP), score | 3.9 ± 1.4 | 4.0 ± 1.5 | 3.8 ± 1.3 | 0.10 |
| Disability (HAQ), score | 1.4 ± 0.8 | 1.5 ± 0.9 | 1.3 ± 0.7 | 0.002 |
| Rehabilitation utilization in the prior 6 months, yes | 14% (150) | 12% (53) | 16% (97) | 0.10 |
| Rehabilitation utilization ever, yes | 41% (434) | 28% (126) | 50% (308) | <0.001 |
^
comparison of Early RA & Established RA using independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test or Chi-squared
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; DAS28-CRP, Disease Activity Scale 28 with C-Reactive Protein; DMARD, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug; HAQ, Health Activity Questionnaire; HS, high school; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; Ref, reference