Results of the questionnaires from all patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), before and after the RA and smoking awareness campaign.
| Characteristic | Precampaign, n = 306 | Postcampaign, n = 340 | Smokers Identified Pre- and Revisited Postcampaign, n = 40/62 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Females, % | 73 | 70 | 73 |
| Age, yrs, mean | 64 (range 25–91) | 61 (range 39–76) | 57 (range 43–78) |
| Duration RA diagnosis, yrs | 14 (range 1–54) | Not asked | 11 (3–29) |
| Mean time to complete questionnaire, min | 7 | 12 | 12 |
| Never smoker, n (%) | 98 (32) | 114 (34) | — |
| Ex-smoker, n (%) | 146 (48) | 151 (44) | — |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 62 (20) | 75 (22) | 62 (100) |
| Questions | Responses to questions, n (%) | ||
| Are you aware of any new information regarding RA? | Not asked | 34 (10) aware 92 (27) unsure 214 (63) not aware | 4 (10) aware 3 (7) unsure 33 (83) not aware |
| Are you aware that there is a link between RA and smoking? | 15/291 (5) aware | 88 (26) aware 66 (19) unsure 186 (55) not aware | 17 (43) aware 9 (22) unsure 14 (35) not aware |
| Can cigarette smoking increase the risk of developing RA? | Not asked | 112 (33) yes 178 (52) unsure 50 (15) no | 13 (33) yes 22 (54) unsure 5 (13) no |
| Does heavy smoking increase the risk of RA by 100%? | Not asked | 62 (18) yes 220 (65) unsure 58 (17) no | 6 (15) yes 25 (62) unsure 9 (23) no |
| Can smoking lessen the effect of your treatment? | 12/289 (4%) yes | 165 (49) yes 132 (39) unsure 43 (13) no | 22 (55) yes 11 (17) unsure 7 (17) no |
| Is RA more severe in smokers than nonsmokers? | Not asked | 89 (26) yes 219 (64) unsure 32 (10) no | 11 (28) yes 23 (58) unsure 6 (14) no |
| Did you learn about the RA and smoking campaign from any of these sources? (listed to patient) | Not asked | 123 (32) recalled the postcard 6 (2) saw it on NRAS Website | 20 (50) recalled the postcard 37 (93) volunteered they recalled the initial questionnaire |
| 20 (5) read about it in a newspaper 8 (2) other 157 (46) in total recalled the campaign |
NRAS: National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society.