Incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is not related to indicators of socioeconomic deprivation.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the role of socioeconomic factors in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsA 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.ResultsThere 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).ConclusionIn 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.