Reporting of Race and Ethnicity in SLE Studies in High-Impact Rheumatology Journals

Appropriate reporting of race and ethnicity in rheumatology research is critical to ensure equity and diversity of study participants and findings, as sociodemographic factors can affect outcomes, particularly for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). JAMA published guidance on reporting of race and ethnicity, highlighting the importance of reporting appropriately and building on emerging guidance. This study aimed to quantify reporting of race and ethnicity in high-impact rheumatology journals to assess adherence to accepted reporting recommendations.

Studies investigating issues related to SLE published in three of the highest impact rheumatology journals between 1/1/2020-12/31/2023 were included. Manuscripts not involving human subjects were excluded. Two researchers (I.E. and H.B.) systematically abstracted sociodemographic variables to ensure consistent coding of data; conflicts were resolved by consensus. Descriptive statistics of each variable and reporting criteria were calculated.

In all, 117 articles met inclusion criteria. Among these, 114 (97%) included any demographic data, 87 (74%) reported race, 51 (44%) reported ethnicity. Of those that reported race, 65 (75%) were comprised of a majority White race and only 7 studies (8%) met the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) minimum reporting criteria for race. Only 20 studies (23%) mentioned that racial and ethnic categories were self-reported by patients. Additionally, 32 studies included any comorbidities, and 18 studies included various other socio-economic factors.

Despite known racial and ethnic disparities in SLE care and outcomes, reporting of race and ethnicity is not standardized across SLE research in rheumatology journals. Most publications do not meet minimum suggested race and ethnicity reporting criteria.