Employment status of patients with neuromuscular diseases in relation to persona

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J Rehabil Med. 2010 Jan;42(1):60-5.

Employment status of patients with neuromuscular diseases in relation to

personal factors, fatigue and health status: A secondary analysis.

Minis MA, Kalkman JS, Akkermans RP, Engels JA, Huijbregts PA, Bleijenberg G,

Oostendorp RA, van Engelen BG.

Occupational Health, Prevention and Reintegration, HAN University of Applied

Sciences, PO Box 6960, NL-6503 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the number of employed people in a group of patients

with neuromuscular diseases and in 3 separate subgroups (facioscapulo-humeral

dystrophy, hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, and myotonic dystrophy) to

investigate any differences in employment status between the patient groups, and

to identify factors related to employment status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

PATIENTS: A total of 591 patients with neuromuscular diseases participated in

the study, 138 with facioscapulo-humeral dystrophy, 135 with hereditary motor

and sensory neuropathy, and 318 with myotonic dystrophy.

METHODS: Self-report questionnaires, the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS) and

the Short Form-36 (SF-36). RESULTS: Of the patients with neuromuscular diseases

in the study, 56.7% were employed. Younger age, being male, and higher education

contributed significantly to employment status of the neuromuscular diseases

group and the hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy and myotonic dystrophy

subgroups. Significant between-group differences for employed vs not employed

subjects were present in the total neuromuscular diseases group on all subscales

of the CIS and SF-36. Factors related to employment status differed for the 3

neuromuscular diseases subgroups.

CONCLUSION: More than half of the patients with neuromuscular diseases were

employed. Patients with facioscapulo-humeral dystrophy and patients with

hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy were more often employed than patients

with myotonic dystrophy. Between-group analyses for differences in baseline

factors revealed 11 significant factors related to employment. Multivariate

logistic analyses revealed 6 factors contributing to employment for the group of

patients with neuromuscular diseases.