Education and Employment Participation in Young Adulthood: What Role Does Arthritis Play?

To examine the association between arthritis diagnosis and education and employment participation among young adults, and to determine whether findings differ by self-rated health and age.

Data from the National Health Interview Survey, in the years 2009-2015, were combined and analyzed. The study sample was restricted to those ages 18-29 years, either diagnosed with arthritis (n = 1,393) or not (n = 40,537). The prevalence and correlates of employment and education participation were compared by arthritis status. Demographic characteristics, social role participation restrictions, health factors, and health system use variables were included as covariates. Models were stratified for age (18-23 versus 24-29 years) and self-rated health. Weighted proportions and univariate and multivariate associations were calculated to examine the association between arthritis and education and employment participation.

Respondents with arthritis were more likely to be female, married, and report having more social participation restrictions, fair/poor health, and more functional limitations than those without arthritis. In multivariate models, arthritis was significantly associated with lower education (prevalence ratio [PR] 0.75 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.57-0.98]) and higher employment participation (PR 1.07 [95% CI 1.03-1.13]). Additional stratified analyses indicated an association between arthritis diagnosis and greater employment participation in those ages 18-23 years and reporting higher self-rated health.

Young adults with arthritis may be transitioning into employment at an earlier age than their peers without arthritis. To inform the design of interventions that promote employment participation, future research on the education and employment experiences of young adults with arthritis is needed.