RESEARCH - Influence of RA on employment, function, and productivity in the US

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J Rheumatol. 2010 Jan 15.

Influence of Rheumatoid Arthritis on Employment, Function, and

Productivity in a Nationally Representative Sample in the United

States.

Sullivan PW, Ghushchyan V, Huang XY, Globe DR.

From the University of Colorado Denver , Pharmaceutical Outcomes

Research Program, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Denver , Colorado;

and Global Health Economics, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California,

USA.

OBJECTIVE: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) was used to

estimate the national influence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on

employment, limitations in work or housework, inability to work or do

housework, missed work days, days spent sick in bed, and annual wages.

METHODS: MEPS is a nationally representative survey of the US

population. Multiple logistic, negative binomial, and Heckman

selection regression methods were used, controlling for age, sex,

race, ethnicity, smoking status, income, education, and chronic

comorbidity. RA was identified using International Classification of

Diseases-9 code 714.

RESULTS: In unadjusted descriptive statistics, individuals with RA

were older, had more chronic conditions, missed more work days, spent

more days sick in bed, had lower employment rates, had higher rates of

limitations and inability to work, and received disability benefits at

higher rates. After adjustment, multiple regression analyses showed

individuals with RA were 53% less likely to be employed [OR 0.47, 95%

CI 0.34-0.65], 3.3 times more likely to have limitations in work or

housework (95% CI 2.35-4.64), 2.3 times more likely to be unable to

work or do housework (95% CI 1.55-3.53), and spent 3.6 times as many

days sick in bed as those without RA (95% CI 2.32-5.53). RA was

associated with an expected loss of $8957 in annual earnings (95% CI

$1881-$15,937). There was no statistically significant difference in

missed work days or the level of wages.

CONCLUSION: In the most recent available national data for adults, RA

was associated with reductions in employment, productivity, and

function.

PMID: 20080920

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20080920

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