Thyroid-specific questions on work ability showed known-groups validity among Danes with thyroid diseases

Abstract

Purpose We aimed to identify the best approach to work ability assessment in patients with thyroid disease by evaluating the factor structure, measurement equivalence, known-groups validity, and predictive validity of a broad set of work ability items.MethodsBased on the literature and interviews with thyroid patients, 24 work ability items were selected from previous questionnaires, revised, or developed anew. Items were tested among 632 patients with thyroid disease (non-toxic goiter, toxic nodular goiter, Graves’ disease (with or without orbitopathy), autoimmune hypothyroidism, and other thyroid diseases), 391 of which had participated in a study 5 years previously. Responses to select items were compared to general population data. We used confirmatory factor analyses for categorical data, logistic regression analyses and tests of differential item function, and head-to-head comparisons of relative validity in distinguishing known groups.ResultsAlthough all work ability items loaded on a common factor, the optimal factor solution included five factors: role physical, role emotional, thyroid-specific limitations, work limitations (without disease attribution), and work performance. The scale on thyroid-specific limitations showed the most power in distinguishing clinical groups and time since diagnosis. A global single item proved useful for comparisons with the general population, and a thyroid-specific item predicted labor market exclusion within the next 5 years (OR 5.0, 95 % CI 2.7–9.1).ConclusionsItems on work limitations with attribution to thyroid disease were most effective in detecting impact on work ability and showed good predictive validity. Generic work ability items remain useful for general population comparisons.

Impact of total thyroidectomy on quality of life at 6 months: the prospective ThyrQoL multicentre trial

“…Professional activity was significantly impaired by complications, leading to a doubled off-work period in our study. Work ability and HR-QoL have been proved to be closely related, suggesting a relevant impact of complications after total thyroidectomy (40). Off-work period was 10 days longer than that recommended in France; meanwhile, standard off-work period at hospital discharge was 3 weeks.…”

The Impact of Thyroid Diseases on the Working Life of Patients: A Systematic Review

“…Thyroid diseases include benign functional, inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases characterized by a wide range of physical and mental symptoms primarily, but not exclusively, related to the excess or to the deficiency of circulating thyroid hormones, indeed to the hyper-or hypo-thyroid conditions they can cause [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Such alterations may not only affect the biological and functional aspects of the organism, but may also have an impact on emotional, relational, social, and working life of affected individuals [7]. In this context, the type of thyroid disease, related symptoms and the medical-surgical treatments adopted may all play an influencing role on the patients' quality of life.…”

“…Additionally, the health status of patients can strongly influence their ability to work, intended as the dynamic concept addressing the compatibility between work demands and individual resources [9]. Although many patients become ill with thyroid pathologies during their working age, limited information is currently available concerning the quality of their overall working life [7]. Workers suffering from thyroid pathologies, may be forced to live with physical, psychic, psychosocial and psychosomatic problems, which may limit their work ability, causing absenteeism and consequently difficulty in maintaining their jobs [10,11].…”

Improving fit to work assessments for rail safety workers by exploring work limitations

“…The assessment of job-specific work limitations has been explored among other occupations and within the scope of preventive strategies, such as workers’ health surveillance programs (Boschman et al 2014b ; Gartner et al 2012 ). The specific approach in assessing work limitations has also been explored for patients with specific diseases (Nexo et al 2015 ) or demands, such as caregivers (Lerner et al 2015 ). The authors acknowledged the potential of specific instruments to provide important insights into relevant limitations.…”