Affiliations: [a] Discipline of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia
| [b] Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| [c] Cardiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia
| [d] Discipline of Population Health and Preventive Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia
| [e] Institut Patologi, Perubatan Makmal dan Forensik (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Nadia Mohd Mustafah, Discipline of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sg. Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sg Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel.: +60122775181/361267183; Fax: +60361267073; E-mail: nadiamustafah@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Return to work is an important aspect for cardiac rehabilitation following a major cardiac event. OBJECTIVE:The aim was to understand the local prevalence and factors associated with returning to work in Malaysia after a cardiac event. METHODS:A cross sectional design was used. All patients attending the cardiac rehabilitation program after major cardiac event during an 11-months period (2011-2012) were included. Data relating to socio-demographic, work-related, risk factors and acute myocardial infarction were collected. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess quality of life. Regression analysis was used to determine the predicting factors to return to work. RESULTS:A total of 398 files were screened, 112 respondents agreed to participate giving a response rate of 47.3%. The prevalence of returned to work (RTW) was 66.1% [95% CI: 57.2–75.0]. Factors associated with work resumption were age (Adj. OR: 0.92 (95% CI: 0.84–0.99), diabetes mellitus (Adj. OR: 3.70, 95% CI: 1.35–10.12), Mental Component Summary (MCS) score (Adj. OR: 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01–1.09) and baseline angiography findings. Patients with single vessel and two vessel disease were 8.9 times and 3.78 times more likely to return to work compared to those with 3 vessels (Adj. OR: 8.90 (95% CI: 2.29–34.64) and Adj. OR: 3.78, (95% CI: 1.12, 12.74). CONCLUSIONS:We proposed a cardiac rehabilitation program to emphasize mental health as it may improve successful return to work after cardiac event.
Keywords: Work resumption, diabetes mellitus, cardiac rehabilitation
