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Amongst patients taking biologic therapies for axial spondyloarthritis, which factors are associated with work non-participation?

Amongst patients taking biologic therapies for axial spondyloarthritis, which factors are associated with work non-participation?
Amongst patients taking biologic therapies for axial spondyloarthritis, which factors are associated with work non-participation?
Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) frequently presents during working age and therefore impacts work participation. Biologic therapies have demonstrated a positive impact on work-related outcomes in clinical trials but real world data are limited. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence and predictors of work impairment and disability among axSpA patients attending a biologic therapy clinic.

Methods: This was a single-centre, cross-sectional study of patients with axSpA treated with biologic therapy. Work participation was assessed with the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Questionnaire. Work outcomes (presenteeism, absenteeism, health-related job loss) were compared for gender, time since diagnosis, smoking status and disease outcome measures.

Results: Data were available for 165 patients (mean age 47.6 years, 75% male, 21% current smokers). Mean time since diagnosis was 15.5 years and mean duration of biologic therapy 4.7 years; 19/165 (11.5%) were on a tapered-dose regimen. Occupational data were available for 144 patients amongst whom 101 (70.1%) were either currently employed or in full time education. Of those eligible to work, 17/118 (14.4%) reported inability to work due to their axSpA. Amongst those in employment, 10.8% reported absenteeism due to axSpA in the week prior to their clinic visit (mean hours missed = 13). The mean work productivity impairment was 23%. Higher disease activity (BASDAI) and markers of global health, quality of life and pain, (BAS-G, ASQoL and spinal pain VAS) were associated with axSpA related job loss, absenteeism and presenteeism.

Conclusions: In this group of axSpA patients on biologic therapy (mean age 47.6 years), almost 1 in 6 (14.4%) reported axSpA related job loss. Poor work outcomes: axSpA-related work disability, absenteeism and presenteeism were associated with poorer scores for patient-reported disease outcome measures. Strategies for enhancing work productivity should be directed towards those patients at risk of poor work outcomes. More data are needed including details of the types of work that are most difficult with axSpA.
Absenteeism, Axial spondyloarthritis, Biologic therapies, Disease activity, Productivity, Work participation
1471-2474
Nadin, Tom
5b172695-2612-4f7b-a0ef-1d65ac46ae40
Wallis, Dinny
31a043f9-e1af-4ffb-8593-6b9c8c29876e
Holroyd, Christopher R.
86c3252b-ca08-4c78-8bf5-eea2b466ba02
D'angelo, Stefania
13375ecd-1117-4b6e-99c0-32239f52eed6
Walker-Bone, Karen
ad7d1336-ed2c-4f39-ade5-da84eb412109
Edwards, Christopher J.
dcb27fec-75ea-4575-a844-3588bcf14106
Nadin, Tom
5b172695-2612-4f7b-a0ef-1d65ac46ae40
Wallis, Dinny
31a043f9-e1af-4ffb-8593-6b9c8c29876e
Holroyd, Christopher R.
86c3252b-ca08-4c78-8bf5-eea2b466ba02
D'angelo, Stefania
13375ecd-1117-4b6e-99c0-32239f52eed6
Walker-Bone, Karen
ad7d1336-ed2c-4f39-ade5-da84eb412109
Edwards, Christopher J.
dcb27fec-75ea-4575-a844-3588bcf14106

Nadin, Tom, Wallis, Dinny, Holroyd, Christopher R., D'angelo, Stefania, Walker-Bone, Karen and Edwards, Christopher J. (2020) Amongst patients taking biologic therapies for axial spondyloarthritis, which factors are associated with work non-participation? BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 21 (1), [209]. (doi:10.1186/s12891-020-03247-9).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) frequently presents during working age and therefore impacts work participation. Biologic therapies have demonstrated a positive impact on work-related outcomes in clinical trials but real world data are limited. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence and predictors of work impairment and disability among axSpA patients attending a biologic therapy clinic.

Methods: This was a single-centre, cross-sectional study of patients with axSpA treated with biologic therapy. Work participation was assessed with the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Questionnaire. Work outcomes (presenteeism, absenteeism, health-related job loss) were compared for gender, time since diagnosis, smoking status and disease outcome measures.

Results: Data were available for 165 patients (mean age 47.6 years, 75% male, 21% current smokers). Mean time since diagnosis was 15.5 years and mean duration of biologic therapy 4.7 years; 19/165 (11.5%) were on a tapered-dose regimen. Occupational data were available for 144 patients amongst whom 101 (70.1%) were either currently employed or in full time education. Of those eligible to work, 17/118 (14.4%) reported inability to work due to their axSpA. Amongst those in employment, 10.8% reported absenteeism due to axSpA in the week prior to their clinic visit (mean hours missed = 13). The mean work productivity impairment was 23%. Higher disease activity (BASDAI) and markers of global health, quality of life and pain, (BAS-G, ASQoL and spinal pain VAS) were associated with axSpA related job loss, absenteeism and presenteeism.

Conclusions: In this group of axSpA patients on biologic therapy (mean age 47.6 years), almost 1 in 6 (14.4%) reported axSpA related job loss. Poor work outcomes: axSpA-related work disability, absenteeism and presenteeism were associated with poorer scores for patient-reported disease outcome measures. Strategies for enhancing work productivity should be directed towards those patients at risk of poor work outcomes. More data are needed including details of the types of work that are most difficult with axSpA.

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Revised Work AS Manuscript 26 3 20 - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 27 March 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 6 April 2020
Published date: 6 April 2020
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s).
Keywords: Absenteeism, Axial spondyloarthritis, Biologic therapies, Disease activity, Productivity, Work participation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 439096
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/439096
ISSN: 1471-2474
PURE UUID: 1103d960-5db8-4aca-9f0a-cfea00deae62
ORCID for Stefania D'angelo: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7267-1837
ORCID for Karen Walker-Bone: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5992-1459

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Date deposited: 03 Apr 2020 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:30

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Contributors

Author: Tom Nadin
Author: Dinny Wallis
Author: Christopher R. Holroyd
Author: Stefania D'angelo ORCID iD

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