RESEARCH - Contemporary prevalence and incidence of work disability associated with RA in the US

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Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Apr 15;59(4):474-80.

Contemporary prevalence and incidence of work disability associated

with rheumatoid arthritis in the US.

Allaire S, Wolfe F, Niu J, Lavalley MP.

Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a contemporary estimate of the prevalence and

incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) work disability and examine its

permanence over time. METHODS: Data were collected semiannually from

5,384 subjects with rheumatologist-diagnosed RA. We examined

prevalence in subgroups formed by approximately 5-year disease

duration intervals using data from subjects age </=64 years who were

employed at disease onset. Annual incidence was examined

longitudinally among subjects who supplied data in 2003, 2004, or

2005, were employed at disease onset and in a year's first survey, and

were age </=63 years. For work disability permanence we used

longitudinal data from all subjects who became work disabled and

observed whether they later returned to work. RESULTS: Mean age of

subjects was 52 years, 82% were female, 63% had more than a high

school education, mean disease duration was 14 years, and mean Health

Assessment Questionnaire score was 1.0. The prevalence of any

premature work cessation was 23% in subjects with 1-3 years duration,

35% in those with 10 years, and 51% in those with >/=25 years RA

duration. Arthritis-attributed work cessation was 14%, 29%, and 42%,

respectively. Annual incidence of any premature work cessation was

approximately 10% and arthritis-attributed work cessation incidence

was approximately 6%. Thirty-nine percent of subjects who stopped

working later returned to work.

CONCLUSION: Work disability prevalence in this sample was high (35%

within 10 years disease duration), but may represent a decline from

the 50% prevalence reported in 1987. Annual incidence of work

disability was higher than prior studies, but the return to work rate

was also higher.

PMID: 18383413

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18383413

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