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Work productivity among employed Canadians with arthritis.
Wei Zhang1, Mieke Koehoorn, Aslam H Anis
1Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|August 28, 2010
Summary
Employed individuals with arthritis experience significantly reduced work capacity, specifically presenteeism, though absenteeism is not increased. This highlights the impact of arthritis on daily work performance.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Rheumatology
- Health Economics
Background:
- Arthritis significantly impacts daily life, with potential consequences for employment.
- Understanding the effect of arthritis on work productivity is crucial for economic and health policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare work productivity between employed individuals with arthritis and healthy controls.
- To investigate the association between arthritis and work absence (absenteeism) and reduced work activities (presenteeism).
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey.
- Categorized participants based on chronic condition status: no chronic conditions, arthritis only, other chronic conditions without arthritis, and arthritis with other chronic conditions.
- Employed logistic regression models to analyze the relationship between chronic condition status and outcomes of absenteeism and presenteeism.
Main Results:
- Individuals with arthritis only demonstrated an 8-fold increased odds of presenteeism compared to those without chronic conditions.
- Arthritis alone was not significantly associated with an increased likelihood of absenteeism.
Conclusions:
- Employed individuals with arthritis can maintain employment but often work at a reduced capacity.
- Presenteeism is a significant issue for employed individuals with arthritis, indicating challenges in maintaining full work performance.
