Analysis Of Risk Factors Of Work Disability In Patients With Rheumatiod Arthritis

Objective:To explore rates and reasons for work disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA) in our hospital.Methods: Data were obtained from four hundred and twenty eight patients with RA from Department of Rheumatology and immunology in our hospital by writing questionnaire between October 2015 and April 2016. Data about their social conditions, clinical conditions, working conditions, financial conditions were collected. A non-parameter test and multivariate Logistic regression were preformed. Demographic data was shown by descriptive analysis. Student’s t-test was used for categorical data analysis.Chi-square and multivariate Logistic regression were used to assess the effect of RA-related factors as predictors of work disability.Result:Totally 541 completed data were collected.The ratio of male to female was 1:4. A total of 365 of these patients(67.47%) were employed at time of RA onset. Of 365 patients who were employed at disease onset, 66.03% patients occurred work disability(47.67% had to cut down their work time, 3.84% had to change job,14.76% had to stopped work before the planned age). Risk factors for work disability include physically demanding job, low income, worse living condition, younger onset age and high MDHAQ score(>1.5), and more joint involvement, no social security arrangement. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis shown that younger onset age, low income and more joint involvement were positively correlation with RA-related work disability.Conclusion: Work disability remains a considerable problem for many with RA, especially in patients with physical labor, low income, younger onset age, no social security arrangement, and high MDHAQ score.