RESEARCH - Work disability and its economic effect on 55-64-year-old adults with RA

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Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Aug 4;53(4):603-608 [Epub ahead of print]

Work disability and its economic effect on 55-64-year-old adults with

rheumatoid arthritis.

Allaire S, Wolfe F, Niu J, Lavalley M, Michaud K.

Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent and financial impact of work disability

among older workers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Year 2002 data

from 5,419 subjects with RA <65 years of age in the National Data Bank for

Rheumatic Diseases were used, along with US population data. Measures of

work disability were employment status, part-time work, sick day use, and

limitation in work demands; the latter was assessed by the Work Limitations

Questionnaire (WLQ). Measures of financial status were median household

income and poverty level income. Statistical procedures included logistic

and linear regression, Wilcoxon's rank sum test, and chi-square test.

RESULTS: Despite being better educated, subjects with RA ages 55-64 years

had lower employment rates than individuals of the same age in the US (women

40% versus 53% and men 54% versus 66%). These older subjects with RA had

stopped working more often than younger subjects with RA, and more worked

part time (40% versus 34%; P < 0.01). However, the older subjects used sick

time less often than younger subjects (35% versus 41%; P < 0.01) and were

similarly limited in job demands, e.g., physical demands (mean WLQ subscale

score 27.0 versus 26.6; P = 0.65). Median household income of older employed

subjects was $20,000 greater than that of retired subjects; 56% of retired

subjects had incomes lower than US median income versus 32% of employed

subjects, and 11% had income below the poverty level.

CONCLUSION: Premature work cessation in persons with RA ages 55-64 years is

a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

PMID: 16082625

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

6082625 & dopt=Abstract

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