Table 1

Characteristics of female participants at survey, 1998–2002


Women with SLE (n = 122)
Women without SLE (n = 203)
P valuea

Age at survey


0.5
     15–24 years
4 (3%)
12 (6%)

     25–34 years
21 (17%)
31 (15%)

     35–44 years
39 (32%)
77 (38%)

     45–54 years
32 (26%)
43 (21%)

     ≥ 55 years
26 (21%)
40 (20%)

Mean (standard deviation) age at interview (years)
44.4 (11.6)
43.4 (12.1)

Education after 18 years
23 (19%)
29 (14%)
0.6
Running water aged 12 years
77 (63%)
149 (73%)
0.05
Ever smoked
10 (8%)
27 (13%)
0.3
Marital status


0.02
     Ever married/cohabited
83 (68%)
161 (79%)

     Other
39 (32%)
42 (21%)

Hysterectomy reported at survey
15 (12%)
22 (11%)
0.7
Ever used contraceptive pillb
66 (55%)
100 (51%)
0.5
Ever been pregnant
97 (80%)
184 (91%)
0.002

aFrom chi-squared test for heterogeneity, detecting differences between women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and those without SLE. bTwo women with SLE and seven women without SLE had missing values for this variable.

Molokhia et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007 9:R124   doi:10.1186/ar2332