Question

7. What is the purpose of Table 1 ?

a. To display the main analytical findings of the study.

b. To display the most pertinent sub-analyses findings.

c. To display descriptive participant characteristics by exposure or outcome group (depending on study design).

d. Both A and B are correct.

Table 1. Characteristics of Case and Noncase Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sister Study, United States, 20042009 Case Patients Noncase Patients With RA Characteristic (n 424)(n 48,919) No. % 57.9 (8.2) 55.1 (9.0) 17.4 (16.1) 14.6 (15.3) No. Age at enrollment, yearsa Pack-years of smokingb Birth year 1928-1945 1946-1955 1956-1965 After 1965 163 38 14,051 29 177 42 19,211 39 73 17 13,014 27 11 3 2,643 5 184 43 26,451 54 170 40 23,770 49 82 19 7,764 16 Never smoker College degree Nonwhite or Hispanic race or ethnicity No. of childhood socioeconomic factors 113 28 17,300 37 124 31 15,858 24 126 31 10,389 22 42 11 3,404 8 2 3-4 Age at home of longest residence Childhood (age s14years) Adulthood (age 218 years) 102 27 10,340 24 207 49 21,548 44 Home of longest residence was a farme Childhood (age <14years) Adulthood (age 218 years) Other farm residence 212 65 15 6,822 16 36 8 3,451 7 41 10 3,489 7 months Abbreviation: RA, rheumatoid arthritis. Values are expressed as mean (standard deviation) b Missing data on pack-years of smoking for 19 case patients (4%) and 1 ,387 noncase patients (3%). Score of 4 factors previously associated with RA in the sample highest childhood household educational level is high school or less, lowlpoor relative household income, young maternal age (<20 years), food insecurity (21); missing data for 19 case patients (4%) and 1 ,968 noncase patients (4%); percentages do not add to 100 because of rounding. d Missing childhood residence data for 43 case patients (10%) and 5,053 noncase patients (10%). Childhood residential pesticide use and adult residential pesticide use are not mutually exclusive e Missing childhood farm residence on 47 case patients (11%) and 5,065 noncase patients (10%). Responses for childhood farm resi- dence and adult farm residence are not mutually exclusive. Those who reported neither were asked about other residential farm experi- ence of 12 months or longer

Answer 1

7. What is the purpose of Table 1 ?

c. To display descriptive participant characteristics by exposure or outcome group (depending on study design).

The table displays the characteristics of the patients with RA and without for all the factors on which the descriptive data was collected.