Baseline characteristics of participants by group. Data are reported as frequency (%) for categorical data and mean (SD) for continuous data.
| Characteristic | Intervention Group, n = 23 | Waitlist Control Group, n = 19 | p* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient characteristics | |||
| Age, yrs | 57.43 (15.31) | 51.84 (14.94) | 0.25 |
| Women | 18 (81.8) | 17 (89.5) | 0.49 |
| Educational level | 0.85 | ||
| Primary/elementary school or less | 0 | 0 | |
| Secondary school | 5 (23.8) | 4 (21.1) | |
| Post-secondary school | 13 (61.9) | 11 (57.9) | |
| Unsure | 3 (14.3) | 4 (21.1) | |
| Missing data | 2 | 0 | |
| Living arrangements | 0.08 | ||
| Live alone | 2 (9.5) | 6 (31.6) | |
| Live with 1 or more | 19 (90.5) | 13 (68.4) | |
| Missing data | 2 | 0 | |
| Arthritis type | 0.61 | ||
| RA | 18 (78.3) | 12 (63.2) | |
| PsA | 1 (4.4) | 3 (15.8) | |
| SLE | 3 (13.0) | 3 (15.8) | |
| RA + SLE | 1 (4.4) | 1 (5.3) | |
| IBD-related arthritis | 0 | 0 | |
| Gout | 0 | 0 | |
| RADAI score (0 to 10 = greater disease activity) | 4.12 (1.69) | 3.98 (1.83) | 0.8 |
| HAQ 8–item disability score (0 to 3 = greater disability) | 0.56 (0.56) | 0.45 (0.54) | 0.5 |
| Disease duration, yrs | 13.15 (11.55) | 12.58 (12.93) | 0.89 |
| Outcomes | |||
| Arthritis self-efficacy (8-item scale) (1 to 10 = greater self-efficacy) | 5.9 (1.75) | 6.22 (1.84) | 0.58 |
| Previous knowledge (ACREU RA knowledge questionnaire; no. correct items/31) | 18.7 (4.37) | 20.68 (4.1) | 0.14 |
| Content knowledge (RxEd content questionnaire; no. correct items/34) | 26.39 (3.53) | 27.68 (2.0) | 0.14 |
| Coping efficacy (4-item scale; 1 to 10 = greater coping efficacy | 3.28 (0.9) | 3.8 (0.8) | 0.06 |
| Illness intrusiveness (13 to 91 = greater intrusiveness) | 50.59 (19.15) | 42.01 (18.75) | 0.16 |
↵* p: differences across groups (chi-square tests for categorical variables and ANOVA for continuous variables). RA: rheumatoid arthritis; PsA: psoriatic arthritis; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; IBD: inflammatory bowel disease; RADAI: Rapid Assessment of Disease Activity Index; HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire; ACREU: The Arthritis Community Research and Evaluation Unit; RxEd: Prescription for Education program.