Incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is not related to indicators of socioeconomic deprivation.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of socioeconomic factors in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
A prospective population based register of inflammatory joint disease (NOAR) recruited 687 adults between 1990 and 1992, of whom 50% satisfied ARA criteria for RA at presentation. Using census data, social class specific incidence rates were calculated for both sexes. A correlation analysis was undertaken examining the association between incidence rates and 5 indicators of socioeconomic status.


RESULTS
There was no trend of increasing incidence with declining social class. None of the 5 indicators examined showed any evidence of association with incidence (rs range 0.0-0.3).


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to the data on factors influencing outcome in established RA, the socioeconomic status variables examined did not explain susceptibility patterns in the population studied.
Bankhead
C
C
ARC Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Manchester, UK.
Silman
A
A
Barrett
B
B
Scott
D
D
Symmons
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors