Impact of socioeconomic status on disability in a longitudinal rheumatoid arthritis cohort.

The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on health outcomes in Australians living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not known. We aimed to determine whether differences in disability trajectory were present according to individuals' SES using longitudinal data from the Australian Rheumatology Association Database. We found that lower area-level SES was associated with significantly increased Health Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index scores (indicating greater disability). These results may indicate the presence of a healthcare inequity for those living with RA and lower SES.