Atient preferences and perceptions regarding aggressive treatment. While more white subjects MK-571 (sodium salt) price indicated a willingness to participate in a clinical trial involving a new, experimental medication compared to African-Americans, this difference was not statistically significant (80.7 vs 68.7 , P = 0.10). In contrast, more whites than African-Americans were willing to receive CYC if their lupus worsened and if their doctor recommended the treatment (84.9 vs 67.0 , P = 0.02). No significant racial/ethnic differences were observed in the perceptions of effictiveness and risk of CYC. Table 3 buy RG7800 demonstrates patient health attitudes and beliefs. Compared with whites, African-Americans were more likely to believe that prayer is helpful for their lupus (P < 0.001) and to utilize prayer to cope with their disease (P < 0.01). In addition, African-American patients were more likely than whites to believe that their health outcomes are controlled by their own internal actions (P < 0.01) and by powerful others (P < 0.01). They also reported higher trust in physicians than white patients (P = 0.01).Reliability and validity of measuresReliability Supplementary Table S1 (available as supplementary data at Rheumatology Online) shows the Cronbach a coefficient values of several multi-item components of the survey. Correlational analyses Willingness to participate in a clinical trial positively correlated with willingness to receive CYC (r = 0.24, P = 0.001). Perceived effectiveness negatively correlated with perceived risk of CYC treatment (r = ?.32, P < 0.001). Trust in physicians negatively correlated with perceived discrimination in the medical setting (r = ?.60, P < 0.001). Factor analyses The results of the factor analyses are shown in supplementary Table S2 (available as supplementary data at Rheumatology Online). (1) Beliefs about CYC. Effectiveness of treatment items all loaded on Factor 1, which accounted for 70 of the variance. Familiarity with CYC items loaded on Factor 2, which accounted for 23 of the variance. (2) Trust in physicians and perceived discrimination. All trust in physicians items loaded on Factor 1, which accounted for 86 of the variance. All perceived discrimination items loaded on Factor 2, which accounted for 13 of the variance.ResultsA total of 235 SLE patients were initially considered for participation in the study. One hundred and ninety-five were eligible and consented to participate. Data from 120 African-American and 62 white patients were evaluated; 92.3 were women (Fig. 1). Participants' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are shown in Table 1. Statistically significant differences were observed between the racial/ethnic groups. African-American SLE patients, compared with white SLE patients, were less likely to have more education than a high-school degree (64.2 vs 83.9 , P < 0.01), were less likely to be employed (38.5 vs 56.5 , P = 0.02) and were more likely to have lower incomes (33.6 vs 5.4 with annual income of < 10 000, P < 0.001). Although African-American patients had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index mean score than white patients (2.34 vs 1.85, P = 0.03), the mean SLEDAI score, SLICC Damage Index score, disease duration and number of immunosuppressant agents used did not differ.Preferences: bivariate analysesTable 4 shows the patient characteristics and beliefs that were significantly related to patients' CYC treatment preference. Compared with SLE patients unwilling to receive the medicati.Atient preferences and perceptions regarding aggressive treatment. While more white subjects indicated a willingness to participate in a clinical trial involving a new, experimental medication compared to African-Americans, this difference was not statistically significant (80.7 vs 68.7 , P = 0.10). In contrast, more whites than African-Americans were willing to receive CYC if their lupus worsened and if their doctor recommended the treatment (84.9 vs 67.0 , P = 0.02). No significant racial/ethnic differences were observed in the perceptions of effictiveness and risk of CYC. Table 3 demonstrates patient health attitudes and beliefs. Compared with whites, African-Americans were more likely to believe that prayer is helpful for their lupus (P < 0.001) and to utilize prayer to cope with their disease (P < 0.01). In addition, African-American patients were more likely than whites to believe that their health outcomes are controlled by their own internal actions (P < 0.01) and by powerful others (P < 0.01). They also reported higher trust in physicians than white patients (P = 0.01).Reliability and validity of measuresReliability Supplementary Table S1 (available as supplementary data at Rheumatology Online) shows the Cronbach a coefficient values of several multi-item components of the survey. Correlational analyses Willingness to participate in a clinical trial positively correlated with willingness to receive CYC (r = 0.24, P = 0.001). Perceived effectiveness negatively correlated with perceived risk of CYC treatment (r = ?.32, P < 0.001). Trust in physicians negatively correlated with perceived discrimination in the medical setting (r = ?.60, P < 0.001). Factor analyses The results of the factor analyses are shown in supplementary Table S2 (available as supplementary data at Rheumatology Online). (1) Beliefs about CYC. Effectiveness of treatment items all loaded on Factor 1, which accounted for 70 of the variance. Familiarity with CYC items loaded on Factor 2, which accounted for 23 of the variance. (2) Trust in physicians and perceived discrimination. All trust in physicians items loaded on Factor 1, which accounted for 86 of the variance. All perceived discrimination items loaded on Factor 2, which accounted for 13 of the variance.ResultsA total of 235 SLE patients were initially considered for participation in the study. One hundred and ninety-five were eligible and consented to participate. Data from 120 African-American and 62 white patients were evaluated; 92.3 were women (Fig. 1). Participants' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are shown in Table 1. Statistically significant differences were observed between the racial/ethnic groups. African-American SLE patients, compared with white SLE patients, were less likely to have more education than a high-school degree (64.2 vs 83.9 , P < 0.01), were less likely to be employed (38.5 vs 56.5 , P = 0.02) and were more likely to have lower incomes (33.6 vs 5.4 with annual income of < 10 000, P < 0.001). Although African-American patients had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index mean score than white patients (2.34 vs 1.85, P = 0.03), the mean SLEDAI score, SLICC Damage Index score, disease duration and number of immunosuppressant agents used did not differ.Preferences: bivariate analysesTable 4 shows the patient characteristics and beliefs that were significantly related to patients' CYC treatment preference. Compared with SLE patients unwilling to receive the medicati.
