Morbidity of juvenile onset inflammatory bowel disease: effects on education and employment in early adult life.

Abstract

Seventy young adults (50 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 20 with ulcerative colitis (UC)) (from a geographicaliy derived cohort of patients with juvenile onset inflammatory bowel disease were interviewed and examined at a mean of 14 (range 5.2-29.5) years after diagnosis. Details of education and employment were collected as part of a structured clinical interview. Although 57% had had periods of absence from school of two months or more, their school examination pass rates were similar to those of the healthy population. The achievements of CD patients were consistently better than those of the UC group. In 15 patients, relapses of inflammatory bowel disease had adversely affected examination performance or prevented them from sitting school examinations. Extra tuition in hospital had been provided for only four patients, and three others had had privately arranged tuition at home. Fifty per cent proceeded to full time higher education. At the time of review, seven patients were full time students, one was a university research fellow, 47 were in full time and three in part time employment, one was self employed, four were housewives, and only six were involuntarily unemployed. All four unemployed CD patients attributed this to inflammatory bowel disease, but other factors were relevant in the unemployed UC patients. Few had direct evidence of rejection by employers on health grounds, though some did not declare their illness to prospective employers. (Gut 1994; 35: 665-668)

Systematic review: the costs of ulcerative colitis in Western countries

“…Other studies have investigated the negative impact of UC or IBD on education and employment without giving cost estimates. 51,52 For an accurate estimation of indirect costs, the effects of UC on individuals' career prospects and long-term earning potentials also need to be considered. Overall, results of our systematic review suggest that the treatments most likely to reduce economic burden of UC are those that can reduce disease severity and decrease the rates of UC-related hospitalization and surgery.…”

Juvenile onset inflammatory bowel disease: height and body mass index in adult life

“…Full details of the clinical assessments have been reported 6. We calculated the Crohn's disease activity index8 for patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis using a symptom diary completed by the patients for the seven days before the interview.…”

Facilitating Adjustment to Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Model of Psychosocial Intervention in Non-Psychiatric Patients

“…Students with IBD report similar academic success to their peers in spite of missing more school days [27, 28]. Workers with IBD are more likely to have to make changes in their work situation (especially due to bowel frequency and urgency) than to retire early or take excessive sick time [29, 30].…”