Table II.
Participant characteristics
| Characteristics | Study 1 (n = 102) | Study 2 (n = 55) |
|---|---|---|
| Female sex, n (%) | 91 (89.2%) | 40 (72.7%) |
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 57.1 (12.3) | 60.2 (10.8) |
| Country, n (%) | ||
| Canada | 18 (17.6%) | 15 (27.3%) |
| USA | 62 (60.8%) | 28 (50.9%) |
| France | 1 (1.0%) | 7 (12.7%) |
| Australia | 6 (5.9%) | 5 (9.1%) |
| Other a | 15 (14.7%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| White race/ethnicity, n (%) | 95 (93.1%) | 50 (90.9%) |
| Married or living as married, n (%) | 70 (68.6%) | 41 (74.5%) |
| Education in years, mean (SD) | 15.0 (2.9) | 15.1 (3.2) |
| Occupational status, n (%) | ||
| Homemaker | 10 (9.8%) | 4 (7.3%) |
| Part- or full-time employment b | 26 (25.5%) | 10 (18.2%) |
| Disability | 33 (32.4%) | 16 (29.1%) |
| Retired | 29 (28.4%) | 24 (43.6%) |
| Not employed | 4 (3.9%) | 1 (1.8%) |
| SSc diagnosis, n (%) | ||
| Limited SSc | 51 (50.0%) | 27 (49.1%) |
| Diffuse SSc | 43 (42.2%) | 20 (36.4%) |
| Not provided | 8 (7.8%) | 2 (3.6%) |
| Leader not diagnosed with SSc | 0 (0.0%) | 6 (10.9%) |
| Years since SSc diagnosis, mean (SD) | 14.5 (7.8) | 14.9 (8.2) |
| Years as a SSc support group leader, mean (SD) | 7.3 (6.5) | 8.0 (6.5) |
| Received any training for leader role, n (%) | 32 (31.4%) | 15 (27.3%) |
| Current leader of SSc support group | 102 (100.0%) | 47 (85.5%) |
SD = standard deviation; SSc = systemic sclerosis.
a
Includes countries with <5 participants in Study 1 (Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, UK, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Finland, New Zealand).
b
Includes 1 full-time student.