Work participation and health status in early osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee: A comparison between the cohort hip and cohort knee and the osteoarthritis initiative

Abstract

Objective To examine the work participation of Dutch people with early osteoarthritis (OA) in hips or knees and compare this with data from the American Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) cohort. The influence of health status and personal factors on work participation was analyzed. Methods In the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) study, 1,002 subjects were included. Baseline questionnaire data from 970 subjects were analyzed. Rate ratios were calculated to compare work participation with the general Dutch population, after correcting (by stratifying) for age, sex, and education. Health status was measured using the Short Form 36 health survey and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Groups were compared (CHECK versus OAI, workers versus nonworkers) using t-tests. Results The mean age of the subjects was 56 years and 79% were women. Overall participation was 51%, similar to the general Dutch population and lower than in the OAI (76%). Point prevalence of sick leave because of hip/knee symptoms was 2%, and year prevalence was 12%. Of the subjects, 14% had made work adaptations. Workers reported significantly better health status (corrected for age, sex, and education) than nonworkers. Conclusion Work participation of Dutch people with early OA is similar to the general population and significantly lower than American subjects. Increasing age, female sex, and lower education level were related to lower participation. Societal factors appear to have had more effect on work participation than health status in this stage of OA. The better health status of workers could not be explained solely by selection bias, but may be a result of work.

Burden of reduced work productivity among people with chronic knee pain: a systematic review

“…Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Bieleman et al 18 19 reported data from the same study population in two published papers: one providing baseline data from a cross-sectional survey, the other a 2-year follow-up longitudinal study. Andersen et al 20 21 reported on the same cohort population but at different follow-up periods, one at 3 months and the other after 1 year.…”

Striking a Balance: Work-Health-Personal Life Conflict in Women and Men with Arthritis and its Association with Work Outcomes

“…In studies of individuals with arthritis, there are also mixed findings for gender and work. Some research finds no differences in employment while others find that women with arthritis are less likely to be working or more likely to need workplace accommodations [19, 40, 44]. Although men with arthritis were more likely to remain working compared to women, research has found that they reported more negative job experiences like being passed over for a promotion [19].…”

Work loss in osteoarthritis

“…Besides the study by Wilkie et al [3] in the UK, recent studies in different countries have shown a variety of effects of OA on work ability. The work participation rate in an early OA cohort in the Netherlands was low when compared with an American OA cohort [6]. Radiographic joint damage was clearly more progressed in the American cohort, but the Dutch subjects presented more pain, stiffness and problems in function, which illustrates that the mutual relationships between these factors and work are not immediately obvious.…”