Research Calls for Revised Definition of ‘Socioeconomic Status’

Although studies have established a definite connection between a person’s socioeconomic status (SES) and the use of antirheumatic medication, studies call out for a more defined meaning of SES to draw better conclusions. The results of the scoping review are published in Arthritis Care and Research.

“There is some evidence that SES affects use of medications in patients with RA, however multiple definitions of SES have been utilized, making comparisons between studies difficult,” the investigators wrote. “Prospective studies with consistently defined SES will be needed to determine whether differences in medication use accounts for the poorer outcomes experienced by lower SES patients.”

The scoping review included 81 studies from the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsychInfo databases through February 2022, to assess SES and medication use as the outcome variables. Most participants were Americans (42%) and female (75%) with a mean age of 55.9 years.

The researchers found that “a median of 4 SES variables with educational, area level SES and income were the most frequent measurements used. Patients’ race and/or ethnicity was documented by 34 studies.” There was a strong likelihood of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug prescription or dispensation, medication adherence, or treatment delays. Also, most studies demonstrated at least one SES measure associated with a difference in medication use. However, because of the ambiguity in the meaning of the term, the researchers found it difficult to singularly point out the connection.

—Priyam Vora

Reference:
Russell, O, Lester, S, Black, RJ and Hill, CL. Socioeconomic status and medication use in rheumatoid athritis: A scoping review. Arthritis Care Res. September 15, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.25024