RISK-FACTORS FOR EARLY WORK DISABILITY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS - RESULTS FROM A MULTICENTER STUDY

Citation
Aj. Partridge et al., RISK-FACTORS FOR EARLY WORK DISABILITY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS - RESULTS FROM A MULTICENTER STUDY, Arthritis and rheumatism, 40(12), 1997, pp. 2199-2206
Citations number
50
Categorie Soggetti
Rheumatology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00043591
Volume
40
Issue
12
Year of publication
1997
Pages
2199 - 2206
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-3591(1997)40:12<2199:RFEWDI>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
Objective. To study the risk factors for early work disability in syst emic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. A sample of 159 SLE patients who had been employed at some time since diagnosis was drawn from a mu lticenter study Of outcome in SLE, Disease activity, organ damage, edu cation, income, source of health insurance, and work-related factors w ere measured in a standardized interview, Work disability was defined by patient self-report of not working because of SLE, The outcome meas ure was current work status, Seven patients were excluded from the ana lysis because their choice not to work was unrelated to SLE. Results. An average of 3.4 years after diagnosis, 40% had quit work completely, and job modification was substantial, Univariate analysis (chi-square and t-test) showed that significant predictors of early work disabili ty included having a high school education or less, receiving Medicaid or having no health insurance, having a job which required more physi cal strength, having an income below poverty level, and having greater disease activity at diagnosis, In multivariate models; significant pr edictors were education level (P = 0.0004), higher physical demands of the job (P = 0.0028), and higher disease activity at diagnosis (P = 0 .0078), Race, sex, cumulative organ damage at diagnosis, and disease d uration were not significant. Conclusion. Early work disability in SLE is strongly associated with some sociodemographic factors that might be amenable to intervention.